Theo started a tradition with our boys when they turned twelve. His goal is to take each one on a special endurance hike. It has been a great experience for our two older boys. As Bowen's 12th birthday was approaching, they were making big plans. Bowen had decided that he wanted to climb a mountain for his coming of age adventure. Theo has a small window of time in which he was available.
The mountain they planned to conquer was one of the peaks outside of Colorado Springs. They would drive to Theo's brother Donavan's house, spend the night, and then spend a couple of days climbing their mountain.
The week of the climb arrived, and the boys were getting their stuff all ready to go. And then the weather decided to take a turn. In the area, there was heavy rainfall for several days followed by dangerous mudslides in the foothills. In fact, the community of Manitou Springs had roads washed out and covered in mud. Sadly, the trip had to be cancelled.
The bigger bummer was the continued busy schedule Theo had for school. He was in the midst of his clinical rotations with no breaks or days off. The trip was put on hold indefinitely.
Many months later, Theo wrapped up school, we celebrated his graduation, and then true to his super dad form, he immediately whisked Bowen off for their delayed adventure. In the months that had passed since the false start, they decided to do a Grand Canyon hike instead. Havasupi Falls was just the ticket!
Theo and Bowen left Amarillo in the wee hours and drove all day to get to the trail head. Having arrived after the sun had gone down, they camped at the top of the gaping canyon below. In the morning, they left long before the sun was up and made their decent. At the bottom, they then jogged to the Havasupi village, considered one of the most remote communities in the whole world. They then made the necessary arrangements to visit the falls. After some frolicking in Mooney Falls and a lunch in the village, they started to the climb back to the top. As they neared the last few miles, Bowen had slowed down a great deal. Upon checking his bag, Theo discovered that Bowen had not been drinking water all day. He was still carrying all of it!
They took a long break and worked on getting hydrated. The going was still slow, and Bowen wasn't sure if he was going to make it. Having hiked for such a long time without recharging his water supply really took its toll. Just as Theo hoped, Bowen soldiered on and made the trek all the way to the top, a 21 mile round trip in one day!
Not only have these hikes been a great way for the boys to really see what they are made of, it is also a great father son bonding time. I was so grateful that in the middle of all the craziness of our lives, Theo made the time for this special occasion. Yes, it was belated, but it was always a priority. Theo always makes our boys his priority. He is an awesome father. Bowen is becoming a strong young man. The tradition carries on.
