Hills Are Like Mountains

Nicholas and I went on a nature walk at Umstead Park (about 5000 acres of forest with hiking and biking trails) and it's right here in town. We set out with plans of a walk, but we took the first trail we came across. It ended up being 2.75 miles. Not bad for me, but for a 3 year old it was probably like a marathon. Nicholas did surprisingly well. I was very impressed. About halfway through he started taking frequent Gatorade breaks and rests. Then I carried him for most of the last mile, you know just an extra thirty pounds to lug. We had a lot of fun. We didn't see any wildlife except one small brown frog. It was a lucky sight and made Nicholas very happy. At some points you couldn't see anyone around you and you could hear only insects and birds. Lots of fallen and rotten trees, lush green foliage, moss, and mushrooms. It was very refreshing and nice break from our neighborhood walks.