Monday, May 7, 2007

Sleeping Giant

One of our favoritest places to go in the whole wide world is Sleeping Giant. It's a state park about 15 minutes from where we live and it's such a fun place to hike. I've been going with mom and dad since I was knee high and today was Mitch's first time.

This is Sleeping Giant. Can you see the Giant's head, chest and legs? He's lying down. The park is in Hamden, Connecticut - the town where my dad grew up. He actually played on this mountain as a boy and after all these years, he's still coming back!
We're ready to get going! Mom's filled the cooler with lots of water and ice and Mitch is forever clinging to me like glue! He's not sure about all of these new adventures yet. I've told him this is one adventure he's going to LOVE!!!

Here we are just starting out on the trail. There are sure some great smells!

What a great day for a hike! The weather is just beautiful! Dad is lagging behind getting a shot of mom and me and Mitch. It's a cool morning. The temperature overnight was 35 degrees - still pretty chilly but by day's end it's in the mid-60's or close to 70 degrees!

This is dad and Mitch ahead of us. Sleeping Giant is loaded with Mountain Laurel, Connecticut's state flower, but unfortuately, it's not in bloom just yet! The Laurel's are the bushes with the crooked trunks.

Dad calls this portion of the hike - sheer face. There are a lot of accidents that happen here with people trying to climb these rocks and someone slips! We've caught the ambulance here once already!Ahhhhhhhhhhhh just what we needed - a nice drink of ice cold mountain water!

We're almost at the top! Only a few more steps!
There's a castle at the top of the Giant. Most of the time we don't go inside. We didn't this time either but when Putter comes with us for a hike one of these times, we'll go up to the very tippity top for sure if she wants to so she can see the splendid view. Here's dad posing with us!
Mitch was lucky enough to find a banana peel up here! ewwwwwwwwwwwwwww gross! He'll pick up anything!

Here we are at the top catching our breath before we start the trip back down. This is just outside the castle.

This is the last leg before we get back to the bottom. It normally takes us about 1 1/2 hours to climb the Giant. These steps are actually a recent addition. It was sorta fun watching Mitch try to navigate them seeing as he hasn't done stairs in the house yet!

We had a surprise waiting for us at the bottom. Look what mom found and pointed out to us! It's a tennis ball and not only is Mitch hogging all the water but he decided that the ball was his too! That's the tip of my tail in the picture! Mitch is most probably thinking about biting it!


We had a great hike up Sleeping Giant! Both of us can't wait to go back and do it again!

Until next time..................

Love ya lots,

Maggie

25 comments:

  1. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  2. Oops we have accidentally used Mama's ID to leave comments. Can you please delete that.

    This is the comments that we left:
    What a beautiful place! How lucky of your dad to grow up there, He must have an enjoyable childhood :)

    But no matter how we look, we cant see a Giant there thou.

    Love
    Boy n Baby

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  3. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  4. Ok we realise that we could delete it ourselves. Soory about that, Maggie.

    Love
    Boy n Baby

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  5. Maggie!

    It is so boootttiiifffuuuulll there! I can't even WAIT til we hike at Sleeping Giant together:) Quick, let's set a date -K?

    Love,

    Putter ...:)

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  6. I can see the giant! What a fantastic place to go hiking. I'm sure Mitch will soon be a brave boy with all these new experiences.

    Licks
    Oscar x

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  7. What happens if the giant wakes up? I'd be careful.

    Simba xx

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  8. Wow! That really does look like a sleeping giant. That walk sounds like fun, I bet Mitch was real tired afterwards...

    Murph

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  9. Ooooh--what a fun hike! I am glad the giant was sleeping. He looks big enough to eat you.

    wally.

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  10. Oh waouw what a beautiful day you had....Your country is beautiful !
    Kiss, Faya

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  11. How cool! We love going to the park & hiking with Mom. Dad sometimes goes, but not usually.

    What a perfect day!

    Sherman, Penny & Lola

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  12. Maggie, does the giant ever wakes up???? That sure looks like such a fun place, I wish I could be there too. Can you imagine, two well behaved, bootiful Aire-ladies and their little side kicks who are only 10 days apart???

    Mum wants me to tell you that Mitch sure is a cute boy (I don't know, he to me just looks like STINKY!!!). Oh, and that "un-sure" face that Mitch has in the car totally looks like STINKY when he's un-sure about something...hehe.

    PS. GUESS WHAT! I *just* got your package you sent me a LONG time ago. I guess the mailman delivered it to the wrong door and my neighbours were away. They just gave it to me. I can't wait to open it, but mum wants to get her camera ready!

    Love nibbles,
    Miss Sunshade

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  13. I see the giant too!!!!

    Looks like a really fun day - you're a really good big sister for not taunting Mitch too much - lots of Aire-exercise, eh?

    Love,
    Bogart

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  14. Wow, what a beautiful place, Maggie! Mom says New England is glorious in the spring, summer and fall. Pretty much anytime except winter ;)

    I love how Mitch sticks so close to you in the car!

    Puggy kisses
    Suki

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  15. What a beautiful park...you can see the giant sleeping, amazing.

    Were there other people there as well or it must be big enough that you probably avoid crowds...

    Great pictures, thank you!

    BIG hugs from Billy Boo:)

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  16. hey maggie,

    i love the sleeping giant postcard.

    hehehe. i wanna laugh at mitch on how he was glued to you in the 2nd pic. he looks a bit scare and uncertain of what's coming next.

    i understand how mitch is scare of the stairs. when i was a wee pup at 3 months old, mom force me to walk the stairs! can't believe that woman. i learned how to walk the stairs when i was 10/11 months old. that's a difficult task!

    wet wet licks

    Boo

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  17. Maggie.....Oh your hike looks awesome. Love the scenery.

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  18. Wow, now that's what I call a hike!! The Sleeping Giant was very nice to let you step all over him too :)

    T-man

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  19. What a fantastic place!!! How we wish we could go!!!!

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  20. Hey Maggie, the Sleeping Giant sure looks like a nice place for walkies. I bet Mitch enjoyed the trip there


    ~ fufu

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  21. Hey Maggie,
    The Sleeping Giant looks like he's a very gentle giant. hehe..the walk/hike is quite far huh? How was Mitch holding up? Did he get tired?

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  22. What a lovely hike! I love hiking & trekking thru the woods. It is cool & there's so much to smell.

    I'm glad the whole family had a great time

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  23. I love the sleeping giant. Let's hope he doesn't wake up! Sounds like you had a lovely trek. J X

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