KING OF THE HILL

Over the summer they built a new trail near our house that connected to existing trails up on Snow King.  I had been jonesing very hard core to try it out, but being pregnant with Eli and in full throttle waddle mode it just wasn't possible.  Until this week.  Sully and I tried out the new trail and discovered it was easy, shady and very beautiful.   I discovered that the easy part of the trail wasn't enough for me or Sully... we both wanted more.  Sully had been asking to "climb that mountain" for months (he also asks to climb the Grand on a weekly basis).  I had promised him next summer we'd do it, but I thought what the hell,  we'll let him loose on the trail and see how far he goes.  Sully goes to the top.  The boy is designed for trail running and climbing steep hills. 

He did an amazing job getting up there, we kept a slow but steady pace, at the end of each switchback, I'd show him the next one, ask him "can you do it?"  to which he'd respond "yep"  and sure enough he'd do it.  Many of the other hiker's on the trail were seriously impressed with his stamina, and a few even stopped to ask how old he was and then seemed baffled when he told them 4.

The kid amazes me everyday, but this takes the cake.  Four years old and climbing Snow King's 1.8 mile, 1,500 vertical feet without so much as a whine or complaint (except when he fell and banged is elbow on a rock and screamed like he was being murdered), is just too much. 

Looks like I've got an awesome new hiking partner!

 The new trail behind our house

 About midway up the hill, I really didn't think we'd get too far.

 Gorgeous fall day in the Hole

 Taking it all in, about 3/4 of the way up

 The final stretch

 Sully having his Rocky moment

 The Town we love

 2 Jackson Holios who are awesome:  Sully, age 4 and conquering the King and me, less than 6 weeks after having a human being cut out of my abdomen!  We rule!

 Team Solis for the win!