fatmans loop.

one of the benefits of living in flagstaff is the plethora of hiking trails it has to offer.  the trails range from easy to difficult, depending on what kind of challenge (or maybe misery) you're willing to take on.  one of our favorites is called the "fatmans loop" and it just so happens to be conveniently located about a half a mile from our house.  what more could you ask for?

saturday dawned a nice, sunny day so we decided a hike would be the perfect thing to add to the venue.  in this picture we were teasing sawyer about being a "fatman" and he wasn't having anything to do with it, as you can tell from his expression.  but don't let the non-PC name deceive you...

it's for fatwomen, too...especially ones that are 8 weeks from their due date. LOL.  actually, this hike is no walk in the park as the name might depict.  it definitely grabs your attention at times, leaving your lungs gasping and your legs burning and your mind wondering "why on earth am I torturing myself like this?"

the amount of energy that kids posses never ceases to amaze me.  they just run up ahead on the trail and back down again and climb up rocks and climb back down again.  I figure it's good for them and great for the parents because it wears them out and we're almost certainly guaranteed an early to bed night.

the sun danced in and out from behind the clouds.  when hidden it left a hazy glow about everything and when out the sky became a brilliant shade of blue.

the north side of the trail was a bit more challenging.   it was still mostly covered in snow which made the traversing quite slippery at times, forcing us to try keep our balance and hike at the same time.  I guess it was more of a workout that way. (positive thinking?)    

and every now and then we would plunge through up to our knees in a soft spot, causing an onslaught of grumbling from the littles...especially the one on the far right.  (click to make bigger)  I can still hear him.  "dumb snow...mutter...wet shoes...sputter...I'm cold...is this ever going to end?"  as you can see, he looks a bit disgruntled in this picture.  kids...you gotta love 'em.

because of the snow, the hike took a little longer than usual.  but it was nice to get outdoors and enjoy the fresh air for a bit.  even if it was tainted by a little complaining.  and no trip would be complete without that, right?

-jessica