Expotitions at Cobbs Hill Park (with Evan and Adam)

A few years pre-expotitions

First a note about the use of the word "expotition". Back in the mid to late 70's, when I was a young elementary school teacher, proud father (still am) and personal identity seeking person (still am), one memory I carry that always brings a smile to my face is the hikes "we" would take at Cobbs Hill Park in Rochester New York.

The "we" is my son Evan, his best neighborhood buddy at the time Adam and, of course, me. "Expotition" is a mis-speak/understanding by Pooh in the Chapter, "Christopher Robin Leads an Expedition to the North Pole", by A.A. Milne. No matter. It is what we called to mind in our travels on the hills and trails of Cobbs Hill Park (our own version of the 100 acre woods).

Evan and Adam were about five or six years old at the time. Prime age for finding delight in the fanciful adventures of Christopher Robin, Pooh and his many friends. So we became part of that troop in our own way as we challenged ourselves on the steep hills and rolling trails of the park.

Packing P,B & J sandwiches and a canteen of water we would walk up Culver Road, across the bridge over highway I-490, around Lake Riley and then attack the steep west side hill. Because of the angle on the hill there were not really any trails to follow just slippery steps as we moved through the loose soil and piles of decaying leaves from one tree sapling to the next bracing ourselves against the angle of the slope. It was the most challenging and probably most scary part of the walk.

As we helped push and pull each other up the hill and finally reach the sunlight and level footing of the top there was a feeling of empowerment and victory over the elements (at least that's what I hoped the boys felt). It was always a good time to break for water catch our breath, look out over the city and our neighborhood, eat some lunch and talk about "where to go from there".

The "where to go..." part most often led us past the reservoir down through the more gently graded north woods. The trails were clear, the trees were much bigger and mature and provided a shady canopy for all manner of fungus, flora and fauna covering the sides of the beaten and well traveled paths. Sometimes, when we were particularly quiet, we would see birds, chipmunks and squirrels. That didn't happen very often because the boys were typically on the move and not particularly quiet, but no matter.

This time as we emerged from the woods to the flat open fields of the park we were not so stressed from the trails but definitely getting tired of walking in general and we still had a good distance to go before reaching home.

Now with so many years past, so much distance from home and distance from our lives back in that day, I cannot be clear in my mind if those walks happened very often, only once, or if they ever happened at all. But it is a "memory" I carry of a time of youth, simplicity, wonder and innocent enjoyment of life. I can only hope it was real and brings to your mind a glimmer of truth and to your face a gentle knowing smile. Evan will always be my Christopher Robin.

Evan and Tash have two wonderful adventurous boys of their own now. Their own Christopher and Pooh to wander and wonder with through a new and magical 100 Acre Woods.

I know they have wonderful expotitions.