Spring fever has hit. And with what force! It may be that the Summer on 2009 was the "summer that never warmed". After all, my son celebrated his 4th of July birthday playing in the snow. Remember that, Pocatello? Streets turned into oil slicked pools and were blocked off by fire trucks. I have a picture of utter befuddlement displayed across my newly-turned 2 year old boy's face as he holds snow. On Independence Day. Shouldn't we have been playing in a lake instead of huddled inside watching massive amounts of snow/hail accumulate on the deck outside?

Or it could be that I had a baby last summer. Pregnancy and newborns tend to take a bit of the carefree joviality that can be often felt through the warmer months. My little guy was pretty travel-friendly and we did swim and play a lot. But being weighed down by strollers, nursing covers and pack&plays will detract from the natural buoyancy of sunny days.

Or perhaps I am over-thinking this. I have been recently accused of that sort of thing. I may be thinking through every nuance of "why" for a simple case of Spring Fever. And what cures Spring Fever better than Outside Playtime! So let's explore what to do. If you don't plan to join the droves with tent and BBQ in the trunk of your sedan to a nearby camp site then at least plan a walk, a hike, a pleasant bike ride. I am exploring options for some day hikes. My family and I went on a pleasantly strenuous hike around the base of Scout Mountain a few weeks ago and it definitely ranked high on my list of recent enjoyments. All we needed were some eco-friendly water bottles, two baby back packs, a camera and some dried fruit and we were off.

We drove as far up the road to Scout as Forest Service allowed. The main gate is still closed, so we parked and started down the steep embankment. We were temporarily foiled by the large creek but some bush-whacking and a sense of the spirit of adventure got us past the current and onto a trip up the hills. We meandered with kids on our backs. We saw bugs and trees and flowers. My now nearly three year old overcame some of his natural trepidation to all things new and my nearly one year old slept, laughed, ate and had a very good time on his dad's back for a few hours. It didn't take any planning and we were only gone for a few hours, but we never saw another soul and that spring mountain air was sweet.

We may do the oft hiked "Gibson Jack Loop" this weekend, weather and time permitting. With most outdoor type people out having real adventures, I assume a serene walk will be possible. But if we run into you, stop and say "hi!". Tell me you read my blog and make my day! And be sure to post your own travels on here.

If you'd like more information on local hikes check the following links.

Gibson Jack Loopsite

This site condenses information about local hikes in a very usable format.

.