Hiking Prince William Forest Park: Day 2

After church (which let's out at noon these days, and with the time change, seemed like 11am) B suggested we go do something outside since it was such a nice day.  We were going to go to a battlefield in Maryland, but there was an admittance fee and it was Sunday.  So we decided to use our good for a week receipt from yesterday at Prince William Forest Park.  This time we brought the backpack for Little Guy so we could go further and we ended up going more than 4 miles starting at parking lot E and going on the Quantico Cascades Trail, North Valley Trail, Pyrite Mine Road and along the road back to E and then driving to the Piedmont Forest Trail so the kids could do a quick little Letterboxing hike activity (which the LOVED and now Princess Sparkley wants us to letterbox all over the place). 

Yesterday B started playing the Troll under the bridge so each time we came to a bridge, we had to answer a question or the troll wouldn't let us cross.  Today we took turns being the troll a few times but then quit when the kids started fighting over who got to be the troll, or PS rejected every question we asked her.

Little Guy became very nervous about bears.  We noticed yesterday in the Visitor's Center a notice about bears being spotted in the mark as they were seeking shelter.  I assume the notice is old and was from the beginning of winter.  Somehow Little Guy got it in his head that there were bears and they were going to get him.  Finally I pinned his badge to his shoulder and told him that the badge would scare all the bears off.  This seemed to work, luckily, because his little mouth was just inches from B's ear and he was talking nonstop about all his fears about bears. 

The top right picture was supposed to be a family picture, but it turns out Little Guy telling us he was looking at the camera wasn't true because he couldn't see over B's shoulder at that angle.

Buddy as the "troll" not allowing Princess Sparkley to cross his bridge.

We set Little Guy free in the middle and he kept telling us he was a runner and he loved running.

PS moved just as I took the picture so you can just see her legs peaking out behind B.

the family

All worn out.

The kids on a "bus" on the Piedmont Forest Trail letterboxing trail.