This week, I wanted to share a new tradition my family has started.
Over the last few years we have set several hiking goals.
One goal is to hike all of the state parks in Connecticut.
Another one is an annual hiking trip in New Hampshire.
My friend wanted our families to hike Mount Monadnock every year for her birthday.
Last year we hiked with 8 kids and I carried my littlest for the whole hike. I’m still not sure how I pulled that off.
Mount Monadnock is said to be one of the most frequently climbed mountains in the world. It is a pretty steep climb and once you pass the tree line, the ascent to the summit is all rock. I’m still impressed that all of the kids completed this trail.
This year, that hike turned into a whole experience.
We ended up renting a house near the mountain and spent the weekend playing board games and hiking. We ended the weekend with a visit to the Big E.
The forecast this year was similar to last year: rain and fog.
Our views from the summit were once again impaired by the fog. There were a few moments that the wind blew the fog away and we had a couple of seconds to see the view before it was blurred again with more fog.
Maybe next year we will get a sunny weekend and get to see all the views we worked so hard for.
We had 10 kids hiking with us this year and they all did great.
We finished the hike an hour quicker than last year with a total time of 4 1/2 hrs and my littlest completed the hike on her own.
It was a great time, and I can’t wait for 2024!