Great Brook Farm- WearBears MeetUp

Last Saturday, we went to a babywearer's meetup at Great Brook Farm State Park.  We've hiked there many times and I enjoy cross country skiing in the winter, especially the lantern skiing they offer at night.  I had been searching for groups of parents to connect with that might have similar ideas.  We have quite a few carriers thanks to some friends who have lent them to us.  Some days wearing Little Dude is the only way we can get things done.  It's also a great way to get him to see the woods.  So off we went. 

We parked in the $3 fee parking lot and met up with some of the other mothers.  At that point we were the only ones using a baby carrier.  We walked along to the otherside of the pond and snagged a picnic table.  Some of the children snacked and parents chatted about their experiences.  We had brought along our dog who attracted quite a bit of attention from the kiddos.

The pond had quite a bit of wild life.  We spotted several tadpoles and this big bull frog.  He had been croaking the whole time we were hanging out.  It was neat to find him only feet from where we were sitting. 

There also was this family of geese.  They were quite wary of us and had swum out to the middle of the pond.  Eventually they became brave enough to wander back towards their nest.

We finished snacking and decided that we wanted to hit the trail.  The other families didn't seem to be ready yet so we said our goodbyes and wandered across the street to the main trails.  It was a clear and sunny day.  We saw many bikers, walkers, and horseback riders. 

 Massachusetts had received quite a bit of rain in the last few weeks so all the ponds were quite full. 

There even was a washout of the bridge and some of the trails were closed off.

The trails that we took for the most part seemed dry and easy to travel on.  The mosquitoes had started to come out and I'm sure as we have a few more dry days they will be terrible.  Unlike previous hikes, we did not come home with a ton of ticks on the dog (or us).  I wonder if the park has treated for them.

With 20 miles of trails we usually wander for hours and have a picnic.  Unfortunately we had quite a bit planned for this day so we only hiked a short loop.  Carrying a 11 pound baby in a Kozy Carrier, it was just enough hiking for me.  I'm still working on strengthening my core so that I can hike longer distances carrying Little Dude.  Oh, and to get rid of the pregnancy weight.

Typically we would go and have ice cream after this hike as there is a working dairy farm on site.  This past week they had trouble with the DCR coming in and shutting the ice cream shop down due to construction permit troubles.  Definitely was strange news.  They had reopened the day we were there but we were heading to two parties with cake so we passed.  

We've always loved going to Great Brook Farm and will continue to head there.  It's not usually our first choice as there is a parking fee and many other local trails without a fee.  However, it's well maintained and well used.