Backpacking with Kids: North Fork Canadian Yurt

DIY Cuben Fiber Rain Pants

Backpacking... with a Toddler?

Recently on a hut trip, we met a couple from Boulder.  They were on a weekend away, with their toddler at Grandma and Grandpa's house.  They were quite interested in our kids' enthusiasm about our hut trip, and asked the appropriate question about when they might ever go backpacking as a family.  Certainly the goals of backpacking change as it evolves from an event of  quiet solitude for us, to one of tremendous growth for our kids.  Admittedly, our first backpacking trip (or trips...) with our very young kids (two or three years old for the youngest) were a bit miserable to say the least.  But we made modifications and kept getting out into the woods.  And our lives are richer because we have.

Backpacker Magazine's website (Backpacker.com) featured a great article about getting out there with your toddler...  Check it out!

http://www.backpacker.com/skills/how-to-take-a-toddler-backpacking-without-losing-your-mind

We will see you on the trail!

- Mama Bear

My Winter Touring Setup

Altai Skis: Our Kids' Winter Touring Setup

10th Mountain Dvision Hut

Well Laid Plans... Blown Away

The car, partly loaded with gear

December...  A month of excitement and anticipation.  There is the Holiday Season, of course.  With its own busy-ness, gift-giving, and celebrations.  And then here in Colorado, it brings the awe of the outdoors.  Just travel west from the front range and you arrive to a world-class amusement park.  The mountains transform into endless slides that turn adults into kids the minute we step into our bindings.  One of our favorite winter escapes is a backcountry hut trip.  And I had been eagerly anticipating a trip this weekend...  until we looked at the weather.

As a parent, I love sharing the outdoors with my boys, now six and eight years old.  They have become avid hikers, backpackers, skiers, snowshoers, and now snowboarders.  A Tenth Mountain Division Hut is a great way to continue those backcountry adventures in the winter.  We get the best of the backcountry combined with a warm place to sleep at the end of the day.  As good as these huts can be at providing shelter, we still are careful to check the weather.  And here in Colorado, a weather forecast can change dramatically over the course of a couple days.  After spending the night on call at the hospital, I drove home excited to load up the car and head to the mountains.  When I arrived, my wonderful husband said, "I think we should cancel because of the weather."  I heard him, but doubted  him at the same time.  Not willing to give up easily, I sat down to look at the weather forecast myself.  And that is when I saw this:

"Hmmm.... Maybe it won't be so bad" I thought.  "Let me check the avalanche forecast."  And that is when I saw this:

Ughhhh....  As an overachiever, it is not often that I cancel my well-laid plans.  Disappointment came over me.  Thoughts like "Maybe we can do this if we really bundle up," raced through my head.  But then I pictured my six year old son getting pelted with snow at 60 miles per hour on the side of a mountain, with zero visibility, getting every bit of heat sucked out of his body, resulting in a boy who learns to hate the outdoors... or worse.

Safety is always important in the outdoors.  Add wintry weather and go above treeline?  Well, then safety needs to be highest priority.  While we are well-equipped with winter gear, emergency shelters, first aid kit, avalanche probes and beacons, the weather report and avalanche forecast were not to be taken lightly.

As a parent I have to remind myself that one canceled weekend could mean many more weekends enjoyed.  I love seeing my kids, practically floating on the snow, racing up and down the mountain.  And taking a weekend off due to dangerous weather, can ensure the snow remains our playground for our lifetimes.

We will see you on the trail!
-Mama Bear