Explore CA - Hiking in Steven's Creek Preserve

Today we tried out a new hiking trail.

First, this cutie picture

The boys all doing "screen time" in the same chair at the same time.  Y with the iphone, Z with the ipad, and W with the gameboy.  So cute!

We got started on this hike pretty late.  Usually we like to go earlier, hike for awhile then come back to eat lunch.  Today, lunch had to be first.  After lunch, while we packed up lunch and got ready for the hike, the boys all played some form of dirt hockey.  They loved it.  So much so that they were pretty bummed to have to go hike! 

They were using an old soda bottle as the hockey "puck".  Nick looks like he is going to seriously smash it.

All three with their sticks going after the puck.  Hated to break up the fun.

Yannick was already getting tired and wanted to be carried.  Art's rule is that Yannick must walk most of the way there, and then he can be carried on the way back.  This did not sit well.

I love this picture so so much.  Happy Wy and Z getting to go on a hike, and the dejected arms and posture of a grumpy N.  He just looks so darn cute being pouty. 

This was not my favorite hike.  Quite a bit of it was just straight up.  We were planning on stopping when we got to the next switchback, when we spotted a little rabbit trail off to the side.  We were speculating if that was a shortcut to the next switchback (as I was ready to go!), when a young guy popped out of the brush (an adult would have to lean over pretty far to get through the cutout in the brush - even Z had to duck a bit).  He said that no, it was not a shortcut, but it lead to something cool that would be worth our time.  Art could not let that pass.  The guy was right.  It was a large rock outcrop that had a gorgeous view.

Yannick refusing to pose with Mommy

Silly Mommy!

Art leaning over to get through the rabbit trail

Zachary at the top of the rock

All my guys on the rocks

I hiked down the other side of the rocks for a bit, trying to get a cool picture from the back side, but eh, not so cool after all.  It just showcases the steep drop and how nervous I was having my boys up at the top!

Yannick did end up having a good time.  

Then the long steep hill back to the car and home for naps.  The random guy that popped out of the bushes was right, it was worth it.  The downside of the rock area is that clearly people used it as a good location to come party.  A few feet away was a small plateau that had a lot of trash; beer bottles, snacks, etc; which was saddening.