Since extended trips have been out of the question lately, I have decided to temporarily substitute hiking in place of actual travel. My little one loves to hike, as long as he has a hiking stick. Something about having a stick turns a walk into an adventure. So we purchased a State Parks Pass, grabbed our hats and water and headed out.
This particular adventure took us along the banks of the Salt River. It was one of those perfect days; nice temperature, sunshine, interesting clouds and everyone in a good mood. The trail I choose was a short one, but it ran between a small cliff and the river with just enough rough terrain to be a challenge. I like this particular trail because you can watch the birds of prey as they catch the thermals and rise up into the air. Today, though, I had another agenda: geology.
As we walked along, I pointed out various large boulders on either side of the trail. Each one was in a different stage in the rock cycle. Some looked like they were about ready to detach from the rock face, while others had already done so and we could still trace the scar left by their tumbling journey. We stopped to admire large cracks in some rocks and then discuss how those cracks could get bigger over time and eventually split the rock into smaller pieces. At the turning point in the trail, there is a canyon and a beach. I was able to explain that the sand had started out as large boulders further up the canyon, that kept getting broken into smaller pieces until they were eventually small enough to be washed out of the canyon during a flash flood and deposited on the beach. Easy peasy geology lesson.
Of course the day would not have been complete unless we took time to dig in the sand and throw rocks in the river. During this time I was also able to point out the rudimentary mechanics of current. We had a large stick that just kept coming back to us. We had great fun throwing the stick into the river and watching it float away only to be brought back when the wind picked up and changed the direction of the waves.
There are so many lessons that can be learned on the trail. With a cheap pair of binoculars, little ones can view birds and begin to learn about how one species differs from another. A pencil and a small notebook can be used to draw flowers and leaves for a lesson in plant biology. Keeping an eye on the weather is always important and what better way than learning about the clouds they see while out on the trail. And of course, what boy can resist animal tracks and scat. When my other kids were younger, I found a fun book called Camp Out! by Lynn Brunelle, available from REI. It has lots of kid-friendly information and activities that you can do while hiking or camping.
While traveling and seeing new places is always the preferred, I have found that sometimes we need to learn from what is close to home. I can’t wait for our next hiking adventure. I will be introducing Geocaching! I will let you know how that goes.