Kamiak

It was a springy mostly warm day, so we went to Kamiak Butte.  For those who haven't been there, Kamiak is a high spot that sticks up oddly from the rolling wheat fields.  The north side is covered in trees, and it's a nice little county park.  There is camping, hiking, and a play area.  It wasn't my intention when we left the house to go there, so I was wearing clogs.  Not the best shoes for a klutz to hike in, but I avoided tumbling down the hillside.

We started out at the play area.  PB Monster wasn't too sure about hiking.  He'd played baseball earlier in the day, so he might have been feeling a little tired.  But, eventually, he decided to give it a try.  I sang songs as we hiked, like my family used to do when I was little.  (I couldn't remember all the words to the bear song where you fall out of the tree and hit all the branches on the way down.  I'll have to look it up or ask Lisa before our next hike.)

PB Monster is a little mountain goat.  When we reached the lower summit, he started bouldering and jumping from rock to rock.  Impressive in his superhero tennis shoes.  He also walked some fallen logs.  Instead of turning around, he decided we should keep hiking.  He made almost the entire 3 1/2 mile loop on his own steam.  He kept his energy up for the entire climb, and ran down the backside.  He bummed a shoulder ride for the last 1/2 mile.  This was his first long hike, and I was proud of him for doing so well.  He saw chipmunks, finches, unnamed birds, flowers, rock shapes, and bugs.  He's still bug squeamish.  Somehwere he learned about fire ants, and he now thinks every ant is after him.