We have not said good bye to winter hiking completely. While most of our time has been spent either cross-country skiing or snowboarding I have adventured a little bit with the girls on hikes. My favourite time to hike during the winter has been to go on the warmer days when it is no colder than -5C and has even warmed up to +10C! The slushy, wet hikes are a bit like hiking in the spring when it is almost impossible not to get drenched feet. That is why we have loved hiking (and occasionally playing in the snow) in our Keen hiking shoes!

*This story is sponsored by Keen Hiking Shoes.  All views of their shoes are my own AND the story truly did happen.

The girls are  able to hike through slush and small puddles with their waterproof hikers as long as the water does not go over the top and in their shoes. I love that I don’t have to worry that every step is soaking their little feet. My 3 year old has been sporting the Keen Little Kid’s Oakridge Waterproof Boot and my 1 year old has been happily wearing the Keen Toddler’s Kootenay Waterproof hiker.

 Our most recent hike to Grotto falls made me especially happy that we were all wearing our waterproof Keen hikers.

It was one of those days where nothing turned out as planned but ended up being perfect. The weather was amazing. The sun was smiling down on us as we began the hike.

It was one of those days where nothing turned out as planned but  ended up being perfect. The weather was amazing. The sun was smiling down on us as we began the hike. I was pulling the girls in the sled wearing my Oakridge Polar Waterproof Keen hikers. There was just enough snow for me to pull them along the trail. They had smiles on their faces as we went up and down the trail. Although it was February I could not help feeling like a reindeer pulling Santa’s Sleigh.

We started out by going the wrong way. I had tried to park in a different spot closer to the trail. The only problem was that it completely turned me around. After hiking for about 10 minutes, I realized we were going the wrong way. We had to turn around. A moment of frustration followed by two little girls that were hungry and I thought the hike might be over. After  stopping to  give the girls a snack, I marched on lugging the girls behind me. I quickly changed my attitude reminding myself of the gorgeous weather and the exercise that I was getting by pulling the sled. I continued hiking through the slushy snow that simulated that feeling of walking on sand.

Once we turned around, we began to pass other hikers on the trail that had make it to the creek. They began to warn us that the snow was literally melting and that in some spots the slush was up to their knees! We thanked them for the information and forged on now knowing that our hike may not end in the destination we had hoped.

They splashed in the small puddled snow truly testing out the waterproof feature on their hikers. I secretly thanked Keen for building such strong durable shoes for such tiny feet.

After about 30 minutes of pulling the girls in the sled they decided to hop out and start hiking. They splashed in the small puddles truly testing out the waterproof feature on their hikers. I secretly thanked Keen for building such strong durable shoes for such tiny feet.

Once we arrived at the creek to start the slippery hike to the falls it became evident that we would not make it very far. The creek was a slushy mess. Instead we explored the area and enjoyed the beautiful mountain views. Then we turned around to hike back down to the car.

We arrived at the car feeling refreshed having enjoyed a great day exploring in our Keen hikes. It became clear that this summer was going to be filled with big adventures of me and my two littles exploring the vast amount of hiking trails in the mountains. I feel increasingly confident that we can successfully and safely complete the hikes with shoes that will keep their feet protected from the wet cold while also providing strong grip on the trail. Keen hiking shoes  truly make a shoe that is made for little adventurers.