Hike Mom Hike: Meet Jenna!

We're so happy to introduce you to our newest blogging mom! Every week or so she's going to share all of her best places, tips & tricks for awesome hiking with kiddos. Cool, right? Here she is:

Hello! 
I’m Jenna and I am SUPER excited to be joining this team of Mamas.  I have been married for over 16 years, am a Mama to two amazing littles age 7 and (almost) 4, and am a full-time elementary special education teacher. Add dance, basketball, lacrosse, and swimming, and busy doesn’t even begin to describe our crazy life. I LOVE summers and the extra time to be together. We hike, travel, play, and explore.  I have an addiction to soy chais and Arnold Palmers. Happiness is being in the sunshine with my friends and family, walks on the beach, long road trips, and anything Disney.

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Deep down inside, I am a runner.  I love running.  I am one of those people who loves ALL THE THINGS about running. I consider myself a runner even if I haven’t been able to in what feels like forever.  Here’s the problem. Running does not love me in return.  I am eternally injured. I’ve had two significant stress fractures in my tibia in recent history (one which kept me from running a marathon) and although not related to running, I am recovering from a fall that ended in a gruesome ankle sprain that has kept me from doing much of anything.  Now why am I sharing with you how pathetic I am? Because I want you to have a basic understanding of my fitness level so that when you read through these posts, you’ll have a better understanding of where I’m coming from.  I was never a fast runner or a pretty runner or any sort of magazine worthy accomplished runner – but I love being active and engaged in something and I loved being able to push myself to go faster or farther.  If I was tosum up my running abilities into one phrase, it would have to be “Slow and steady wins the race” or at least limps across the finish line.

I strongly believe we were not created to be inside. Don’t get me wrong, I love a day watching mindless television on the couch as much as the next Mama, but I can last a day and then I NEED OUT. My kids are the same way.  We just manage better if we’ve spent time outside.  I love going on adventures with my kids and listening to them as we see and experience new things and new places.  

Each time my nephews visit, we find a new place to go.  My oldest nephew pours through guidebooks and we have found some fantastic places. The problem with this is, guidebooks weren’t written by moms and no matter how “kid-friendly” the author tells me the hike is or could be, it is not the same as when I ask other moms what it was like.  So with that, I hope to share with you all the hikes I take my kids on and how I would rate them from a Mom’s point of view. 

We’ll talk safety, cell service, bathrooms, terrain, and whether you’ll need a full backpack or just your favorite kid-carrier.  We’ll cover mileage, fitness levels, and age limits.  Each hike will be done with my kids (age 7 and 4) and will give their opinion as well.  I will start with those in and around town and as we get closer to summer, we will venture a bit further out.  Let me know if there’s any trails you’ve been dying to try and I will do my best to get on those!

Happy Hiking!