My 18 month old daughter went on her first hike recently. My wife, the dog, and I tried to hold on for the ride. It was such a joy to see her discovering her first trail. The trees, the rocks, the mountain stream. Countless "ooooh"s and "ohhhhh"s filled the air as we made our way over the single mile that would comprise my daughter's first experience in a world that I so love. I can still remember my first hike, though it has been a while. I was 11 or 12 years old and my uncle took me hiking in the Smokies, probably around a mile as well. I do not recall many of the details (this was long before I started keeping a trail log, for at that young age I could not comprehend the seed that was being planted in me), but I do recall the joy I felt at having accomplished a "out and back again."
I can only hope my daughter will feel the same. Though she was so young, she walked nearly three quarters of the trip herself. I hope it will be the first of many family hikes in the future.
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