Fun with...Rocks!

"We are crevice-jumping-monkey-butts!" Riley declared, at one point during our Sunday afternoon spent leaping about on rocks. And with that gleeful-yet-succinct proclamation, he neatly summed up our family outing to Catoctin Mountain Park. Husband had initiated this one, noting that the forecast boasted a high temperature of about 60 degrees--generally unheard-of in the fickle month of March around here, when Old Man Winter usually seems to be trying his best to keep us in his icy clutches. The boys had been hiking at this location before, leaving me at home that day to bask in the silence and peacefulness of an empty house. But they had enjoyed it so much that they wanted to return, and this time I was not going to miss it. So we packed snacks (enough for a small army...or Derek), water bottles, and layers of clothing, and set out westward into the wilderness...okay, not really--it was just an hour away...but whew, once you get past Frederick, it does feel a bit like you're leaving "civilization" behind! Navigating through the forest on a twisty, hilly road effectively set the nature-hike mood. That is, until you reach the Visitor's Center with its touch-screen informational map and full-service bathrooms (essential before tromping off into the woods, if you've drunk an entire water bottle on the drive...hey, I was just pre-hydrating, what can I say? Oh yeah, I know: "thank goodness for indoor plumbing"!)

On their previous trip, the boys had visited Chimney Rock, which they highly recommended and wanted to show me. That critical decision having been made, off into the woods we went. The trail began with a rocky, straight-uphill section...good for warming up? (In case you couldn't tell, that's special Hiking Code for "panting heavily, and experiencing a delightful hamstring-burn".) Derek and Riley charged up the path like hyperactive mountain-goats...on caffeine...while Husband and I set a more leisurely pace and chuckled at their antics. Then we came to the first landmark, Wolf Rock. Well, it's actually a huge mound of boulders, jumbled together like some enormous granite-lego-set, pieced together by a young giant with poor spatial skills. You can pick your way upwards fairly easily, placing your hands and feet strategically on the stones for leverage. Now, I'm not typically much of a climber, but this was well within my abilities. Your reward, of course, is the stunning view when you reach the flat top of the outcropping. And if you're anything like my nutball children, you can vault across the chasms between the rocks, to go out further and higher. Just. Don't. Look. Down. (Yes, that was my mantra. It seemed more positive and less wimpy than "Just don't slip and break your neck". Although that's valuable advice, too...) Anyway, since I'm...less adventurous...(Or more cautious? Possessing a healthy sense of fear and self-preservation? All of the above?) I chose not to risk life and limb like the boys. In fact, I couldn't even watch them at times as they nimbly and confidently skipped over the rock pile.

Having survived this initial rock-scaling diversion intact, we next set our sights for Chimney Rock. And I have to say: well worth the walk. Once you make your way to the higher points, you're treated to a breathtaking panoramic view of the Catoctin Valley. You can sit and relax and soak in the vista...or you can seek out crevasses big enough to crawl through, and interesting ledges to investigate, and mysterious overhangs to figure out. One guess as to which option my family selected? After we'd had our fill of exploring the granite-and-quartz landscape, we headed back to the trail to finish our loop. (Not a moment too soon, as Riley--the youngest and shortest-legged member of Team WestEnders--had expressed his increasing fatigue...and Derek had already inquired as to whether "snack time" was imminent.) It was only when we re-entered the Visitor's Center (to use the facilities again, naturally) that we actually checked the map and realized that we had chosen the 3.8 mile hike, designated as "strenuous". Whoo-hoo! (I'm so glad we noticed that after we had finished!) So there you have it: that's what counts as a nice Sunday walk in the park for Husband, me...and the crevice-jumping-monkey-butts!