We went on a hike at Hixon Forest this week to give the new backpack a try that Mom and Dad purchased for thier granddaughter. Katie snapped a picture and I was struck with how much it looked like one of the slides I had just seen of Dad. I put the two pictures together so you see the similarity. For clarification, the baby on Dad's back is Rachel. You can click on the picture for a larger view. Baby backpacks sure were a lot simpler back then.

I have been hiking or camping with my family so many times that I lost count years ago. Dad was always in the lead. He and Mom would take turns cooking meals on the big green camp stove while my sisters and I would help where we could, but mostly just played. What a blessing those times were as our character was being formed. How rare that is today when many parents would rather plop thier kids down in front of the TV and pop in a Barney video or the latest PS2 game. I'm sure living so close to the Rocky Mounatains may have helped a little but even today, there isn't anywhere where you can't find a little peice of wilderness with only a tank of gas and a decent map. I strive to bring my children into the great outdoors as often as my parents did, and they will be better for it.