By: LooseRootz – Blake, Randee, Wesley Kai, and Alice Brown. They have a goal of inspiring families to never settle down, but to get out and explore our world together!

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Only recently has “Hey kiddos, let’s go for a family hike!” been answered with a “Yay, let’s do it!”. Since we arrived in Asheville from Hawai’i two and a half years ago, hiking and exploring these magical mountains have been priorities for our family. At the time, we had a 19 month old son and a daughter still growing in my belly. The fresh, crisp mountain air and views for days were so enticing, we immediately began our quest to see everything in these mountains.

At first, we would choose short and easy hikes with big rewards like Max Patch or Daniel Ridge Falls. Our baby girl was born, and we kept going. My husband would pack our son in a kid-pack and I would wear our daughter. We could get a little farther and steeper with each outing.

Eventually, the toddler in the carrier pack became more and more eager to hike on his own. We would get him out of his pack and grip his little hand tightly, then pick him up every time we approached any kind of ledge and every time he tripped and fell. Portions of trails with a drop-off or boulder hopping across streams would flood my mind with anxious visions of worst-case scenarios.

Thankfully, it got better so quickly! He became a big boy preschooler and a much more stable walker, and even more interested in investigating any little critter, colorful leaves, or shiny rocks. Our baby girl has grown into a big, sturdy toddler who does well at keeping up with any physical skill her big brother has accomplished.

Still, only a few months ago, we had to do some convincing to get them feeling excited about hiking. “Let’s go climb a mountain!” we would say, or “I bet we can find a new waterfall today!”. Sometimes we would add a promise of an after-hike cookie or ice cream treat to help them feel more excited. Fun family “picnics” in the back of the SUV also seemed to help encourage motivation.

Only recently, very recently, in fact, have our children been stoked at the mention of going on a hike. No fluff or treats, just hiking! They each have their walking sticks saved from previous hikes ready in the car, as are their Jr, Ranger vests covered in pockets for collecting small treasures. Both are proud and happy to carry their backpacks filled with their waters and snacks for the family! They can now hike the entire length of a (still shorter) trail, and only like to be carried for steep sections or if they are feeling tired.

It is truly amazing to see how much their abilities, as well as their interests, have bloomed over these last two and a half years. These times together in the forest are amazing confidence builders for our children, create calm space in the minds of us parents, and make some of the best memories for our family.