iSophie: Snow bound, or not...

On Saturday, after a week of wild and wooly Tasmanian weather, including a massive dumping of snow, we decided to brave the cold and take the boys to one of our favourite spots, Mt Field National Park.

Timing it just before Baby's morning nap, we headed off, 5 boys rugged up and super excited. Well Baby had no idea what was going on, but he was rugged up none the less. His brothers were oozing enthusiasm, it was almost infectious. I still had a few reservations about taking a 12 week old on day trip to the snow, worried he might not settle for a long sleep in the car, or that it would just be too cold.

Like a champ Baby slept the whole trip, 1.5 hours. He was still asleep on arrival so we embarked on our first stop, the Russell Falls 25min return walk. This walk is wheelchair/pram friendly and is really beautiful, any time of year. Yet something was magical about this time, something was different, you could hear the waterfall much earlier then usual. And it soon became clear why. The falls were a gush with water from the melting snow. They were impressive to say the least. The boys were squealing in delight. For a few moments anyway, until they became distracted by fallen palm fonds, come swords.

No joke, they can make a weapon out of anything.

Baby, mid walk, signaled it was time for a pit stop, albeit in a very insistent fashion.

Lunch was an assortment of toasted sandwiches, hot drinks, icy poles and one serve of milkies. One thing that never ceases to amaze me is their ability to scoff down icy poles or ice creams in the middle of winter, in the middle of the snow (practically).

After sorting out the empty bellies it was time for the main event, the snow ball fight!

The road to top of the mountain was closed just the day before, and was now open to 4wd's and 2wd's with snow chains. Well that was good, it meant there would be no shortage of fresh snow fit for a throwin'.

And it would have been good if everyone heeded the warnings. But of course there is always one, or in this case two.. people that seem to think rules are for 'other' people and not them.

Basically we got stuck in a traffic jam, and this was no ordinary traffic jam. This one was on a narrow snow covered winding mountain road. There was no room to pass anyone, and no room for error. At the centre of the chaos were two chain-less 2wd cars. Yay.

It was so bad, there was no way to go up or down.

With hopes of throwing the biggest snow ball ever at Daddy quickly fading help arrived in the form of the ranger on duty and a police officer. With walkie talkies, shovels and a snow plow they coordinated our escape route, and that of all of the other cars too of course. We had to move our cruiser as far over to the side as possible "without damaging your vehicle of course". I had my head out the door trying to navigate coder through deep snow while avoiding branches and bushes.

We were stuck so long leading up to this point that we got the kids geared up in their snow gear and got them out to play. As did most of the other people.

Thankfully Baby slept through the whole thing. It was hours. He was such a good little sleeper that day, thank goodness!

Once we were on our way back down, it was getting late but the boys hadn't had a good play, so we pulled over on the side of the road for some more snow fun. The Policeman passed us, telling the boys it was illegal to throw snow balls in a National Park and he would have to arrest them. The looks on their faces!

Baby was still asleep during this play session too, but woke when we got to the bottom of the road, so it was time for another pit stop before heading home.