Over the years I have spent quite a few days with boys. I was raised with them and now I am raising them. There is nothing quite like boys who are hungry for the dog days of summer... no more sequestered to their desks and bound by the words of their teachers. They become wild and free seeking all things adventure- but mostly they want dirt.
Dirt to boys is their play place. It begins with the sandbox and it never leaves them. As they grow older, they find dirt piles, and nearby hills. For boys, dirt is freedom. The outdoors breathes new life into boys who have been bound by confinement. If we do it right... they will choose it over any electronic gizmo- it is almost innate.
Feeding their adventure is a must.
Our adventure yesterday took us to the Thunderbird Garden Trail Head. A site hidden by buildings and a golf course and of course CC town's red hills. We pass it nearly everyday as we travel on main and if you aren't looking, you will miss it. It is identified by only one small sign.
The sign led us to the motherlode- DIRT- and plenty of it. Red dirt, brown dirt, hard dirt, muddy dirt. The boys hiked and climbed. They laughed and chased and they discovered- 3 types of flowers and their favorite sedimentary rock. After a long year of schooling, these boys took their learning outside- and they found it in the dirt!
What to do at Thunderbird Garden Trail head- Bureau of Land Management
Lightning Switch- 2.5 miles point to point-
Ghost Flats #7 3.4 miles point to point
Thor's Hideout- a great addition to the trail sytstem
Lots to do here- mountain biking, OHV riding, horsebackriding, and hiking. It is also a great site for repelling, climbing and canyoneering- and don't forget the beginner disc golf course!
Now these boys have had their first taste of this "Dirt" we will definitely be back!