Quinn's second peak of the Lake George 12ster was Thomas on October 9. He was excited to try out his new Merrell hiking boots. They served him much better than the sneakers he wore going up Sleeping Beauty.
The rocky climb up Thomas was as tiring as I remember. Quinn managed it like a champ. He only asked to be carried once and handled it well when I politely declined. We did stop to throw rocks into streams a few times and he had lots of quesitons that I was happy to answer (some of them many times).
I've been working on explaining different aspects of hiking a little at a time. I can't expect him to understand everything all at once, but I hope that starting early will make them second nature as he gets older.
The Lake George summits are very pretty in early October. I took a breather while Quinn tossed sticks off the East ledge (away from the switchback on the Southwest side of the mountain). We chatted with other hikers on the summits. Quinn managed to swindle some extra snacks from a few kind folks.
I don't know if Quinn will ever love hiking, and it'll be okay if he doesn't. One way or the other, I won't ever forget these days as long as I live.
Having skipped his nap, he was pretty tired by now and we did have a bit of a lie down before heading back down the mountain. He asked to hold my hand for much of the descent. It was a pretty good idea, especially since he was tuckered out. The trail down Thomas is very stony and I didn't mind giving him a little extra stability.
Afternoon hike at Thomas Mountain.gpx (179.17 KB)