We had Bird out of the pack doing some hiking when we finally got to a point on the Amadahy Trail where we could safely get down to the lake. The trail down was steep and slick with leaves, but we made it down with no issues. On the way back up, Bird was feeling it, and as we told her yet again that she could do it, she replied, “Hold on Dada, I’m doing the best I know.” And if that does not sum up how I feel like I have been living, I do not know what would.
The Amadahy Trail is a 3.5-mile loop that has great views of Carter’s Lake in northern Georgia. The trail is absolutely gorgeous and was just a delightful walk. While we typically try to keep our hikes under 3 miles when we have both Bird and Daisy with us, we were confident based on the reviews we read that we would not have any issues. We knew we would have Bird in the backpack for much of the hike, especially at the beginning until we got a feel for the trail, but we also knew that 3.5 miles would be a lot for Will to carry her and a lot for her to be cooped up, so getting her out to walk was a high priority.
This trail quickly jumped into our top 5, and while I know it was an incredible trail, we were all in great moods, feeling excited for the day and the future, and beyond grateful to be out together.
With about 1.5 miles left, Bird started to fade. If she dozes off for even a few minutes, it often completely ruins her afternoon nap, which makes for a really long day for all of us (for so many reasons!), so letting her nod off was out of the question. Thankfully, she loves spotting the blazes along the trail and giving them all a pat. This game has salvaged many a hike and made the rest of this day much more enjoyable.
This hike is not far from where we are camp hosting, so I would be surprised if we do not make it back at least once more. We do not typically revisit hikes, but this one would definitely be worth it.
After a long hiatus of family hiking adventures, it felt good to be back on the trail together. While we have felt guilty for not being able to get out as much to explore, we are remembering Bird’s wise words and only doing the best we know. And thankfully, on this day, our best was wonderful.
Nurturing Adventure 