It was meant to be a weekend camping trip to commence our spring break staycation, but cold weather and all day rain were more than us novice campers were willing to endure. Unwilling to completely accept defeated, I rallied the gang for a last minute hike to Cunningham Falls in Frederick, Maryland.
It took quite a bit of convincing to get everyone onboard, particularly Holden who is still bitter about a hike we did last year where the number of miles hiked was not proportional to the size of the waterfall seen. And while it was a very beautiful hike, I have yet redeemed myself as the family hiking coordinator.
But Cunningham falls is quite the opposite, size it has! It is a cascading waterfall the allows you to follow the stream, scrambling up the boulders out of sight beyond the ridge.
The hike to the falls, hardly even qualifies. Walking up our driveway is more strenuous. So, just to make it more interesting we took the scenic trail, which essentially detours you the opposite way up the mountain then slowly turns you toward the falls and down the mountain to your destination, only a stone's throw from where you started. But it is the journey, right?! And we made sure to make the most of this unnecessary detour.
Asher spent the entire hike scrambling up large boulders and waiting for me to take his picture. Note all the pictures of Asher smiling down at me (I may have trained him too well).
Holden, ever the pessimist, spent the entire journey continually doubting the existence of a waterfall. He made sure to point out every trickle of water, incredulously asking, "Is that it!?!" It was a joke, that for him, never got old.
Sebastian wandered around carrying a toy sword he picked on his way out the door. If you follow enough of my posts you will always see Sebastian carrying random objects he brings from home, or even random objects he decides to wear, like the Luigi hat and Black Panther glove he sported a few posts ago. This trip served as a reminder that Sebastian is great at climbing up things but really terrible at getting back down. There was a moment when Sebastian, who is officially taller than me now, proposed I stand below and catch him. Every time I would hear the sound of earth tumbling it would be immediately followed by Sebastian's sigh of relief, "Whoah, that was a close one!"
Scout is now a hiking pro that never tires with incredible climbing ability, who prefers to be lead by the faster more intrepid boys. She has become the best excuse for future hiking trips since everyone loves to take her out for adventures. I am just hoping she will be a good enough distraction for the next time I overestimate the grandeur of our destination and/or underestimate the distance to it.
