The Best Hike

Mom and TYO. Below: Cascade Pond

If there’s a cute way to say something, kids will find it.

It’s up to the adults to remember . . .

Nearly every year, our family vacationed for a week in Banff, Alberta.

We loved it there.

We had a particular hotel we liked to frequent.

Our kids learned to swim in the pool.

Play kick-the-can in the nearby woods.

Use the workout room for . . . working out.

Climb a neighbouring mountain to breakfast at the top.

Wander through the nearby townsite.

Hike.

Avoid the herds of elk.

Fail miserably at tennis.

Play wall-e-ball in the squash courts.

And sit by the fire in the evenings playing games.

For that one week, we existed in paradise . . .

It is still our favourite destination.

Unfortunately, our little two-bedroom apartment no longer accommodates all of us.

But we arrange for extra rooms and those who can, come.

Now our children are passing their wonderful memories on to the next generation.

Teaching their children in the pool.

Showing them the best places to hike.

And that is where this story is leading.

I do take a while, don’t I?

Moving on . . .

We were doing the ‘little kids’ hike around Cascade Pond.

The easiest one of all.

It is a lovely spot, with trails and bridges in a figure eight around and over a pretty pond.

An opportunity to see nature up close without a too-arduous hike to and from.

The smallest children were with us.

Feeling very important as they participated in their first hike in the wilderness.

Our (then) three-year old granddaughter had stopped with her mother to look at something.

Seeing that the rest of us had moved on without them, she ran to catch up.

It wasn’t far.

Unless you were three.

By the time she caught up to us, she was pressing one small hand to her side. Obviously, someone had developed a stitch.

“Are you all right?” I asked.

“Oh, my feelings!” she said breathlessly.

What can make a stroll through the beauties of nature just that much better?

A little touch of ‘cute’.

Going hiking?

Take a child.

Yep. Just add 'cute'.