View Full Version : My kids first real hiking trip
icemanat95
08-18-2006, 15:38
My wife and I took our 4 year old son and 7 year old daughter on their first real mountain hiking trip this past weekend. We went to Mt. Monadnock and ascended the Halfway House trail to the White Arrow trail. My daughter and I went all the way to the summit (a major accomplishment for her, but not really that hard). My son would have made it, but my wife got a bit freaked out watching him scrambling over the rocks in the last 200 feet or so of vertical ascent and couldn't keep going...my wife has a serious fear of heights and while she could have made the climb herself, watching Duncan try it was killing her. So she held up with him on a nice wide ledge/lookout and waited for us.
Daughter and son on the trail: http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/vbg/showimage.php?i=12465&c=535
Daughter and I on the summit:
http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/vbg/showimage.php?i=12466&c=535
My kids loved it so much they begged for real hiking boots, which we got them. I am really looking forward to doing more hiking with the kids.
Just Jeff
08-18-2006, 15:42
Looks like an adventurer and a little lady. Sounds like y'all had a great time.
SGT Rock
08-18-2006, 15:43
Great world to introduce kids to.
Enjoy it while you can. These memories are some of the best hiking memories you will ever have.
Footslogger
08-18-2006, 15:47
Ditto, what Rock said. Mine are 30 and 27 now and both very outdoor oriented. It might be in the "genes" but I'll take at least partial credit for planting the bug. Darn glad I did.
Great pics Iceman ...
'Slogger
twosticks
08-18-2006, 15:57
I'm having similar success with my 6 yr old son and 5 yr old daughter. We started a few years back. One thing I've done in the past to help keep the interest of a long hike was to incorporate geocaching into the mix. 2 years back we took a 5 mile trip through Dolly Sods in WV seeing a black rat snake and a timber rattler along the way with a promise of a toy at the end. It was great to have them out and they loved seeing the boulders, snakes, trees ... everything.
I've had my 5 y/o boy on all sorts of outdoor adventures in the past 2 years. But, I've never taken him on an overnight backpacking trip. I was going to this year, but we had a new baby girl last fall and with both of us working and this summer being so hot...I know, excuses are like butt holes, everyone's got one. But my hesitation is this, and those of you parents who take your little ones BPing can weigh in for me. After about 2 miles, he starts whiling and just wants to stop, regardless of the cool factor of the area we're hiking in. And he don't like hills. And I'm afraid that if I push him, he'll stop liking camping, hiking, fishing, etc. as much. If it's not pure, genuine fun for the kids, what's the sense? He's got his own Kelty pack, Camelbak, Princeton Tec headlamp, trekking poles, hiking boots, merino wool socks, Crocs, Slumberjack bag, etc. That raises the cool factor for him, seeing he's got basically a lot of the same stuff I got. I KNOW it will come, and I'm being patient, but any advice? Are there any of you avid backpackers who have had your kids wind up NOT liking it because of something you may or may not have done?
Bigben
Just Jeff
08-18-2006, 20:22
Easy - keep your hikes to two miles or less until he's ready for more. Two miles in, two miles out - I bet there are lots of campsites w/in two miles of a trailhead or Jeep trail.
Most importantly, forget about what you want to see and about your pace or schedule. Focus your enjoyment of the trip on simply watching him. If he wants to stop and throw rocks for five minutes, let him. If you've been walking for 45 minutes w/o stopping, find an excuse to stop and rest for ten minutes - something better than a view you like. Find a bug, have a cool snack that he doesn't know you brought, break out a few army men and build tiny army forts from twigs and pine cones (that was a favorite when my son was 5), etc.
In short, simply change your goals for the trip. It's not the destination, it's the journey - so forget about your schedule and hike on his. Anything less and you'll risk making him not like it.
All JMO, of course. Here are some of the things that worked when my kids were young. They're 7 and almost 11 now so we can pretty much just hike, but I still do some of them if they get tired.
http://www.tothewoods.net/HikingWithKids.html
After about 2 miles, he starts whiling and just wants to stop, regardless of the cool factor of the area we're hiking in. And he don't like hills. And I'm afraid that if I push him, he'll stop liking camping, hiking, fishing, etc. as much. I KNOW it will come, and I'm being patient, but any advice? Are there any of you avid backpackers who have had your kids wind up NOT liking it because of something you may or may not have done?
Bigben
Ben:
I was worried about the same things regarding my own kids. What I did that seemed to work best was to allow them to lead.. If they wanted to stop and explore a bug, we took the time to explore. If they wanted to take a side trail, we took the side trail. I've had the experience, so it didn't hurt me one bit to stop and let them lead for awhile. It makes the exprience a lot more enjoyable for them if they feel that their needs/desires are important too.
-Scott
gsingjane
08-19-2006, 07:54
Ben, as hard as it is, you just can't expect to make much in the way of miles with your five yo. I had my 7 yo out this summer for her first overnight bp trip, and within 15 minutes she started whining... we'd driven all the way over there, gotten totally psyched for the whole thing, and I thought I saw my life passing before my eyes!!! By the second day we had to take her pack off her (fortunately we passed by my car and could drop it off, and then dividied up her gear) but if she'd had any weight on her at all, she never would have made it. Fortunately we ran into a wonderful section hiker, SweatBand, who jollied her through the second day, but we'd all have been toast without him.
Unless I were doing 5 miles or less in a day, I wouldn't take this particular child on an overnighter again, at least not for 2-3 more years. I know it's all individual to the child, and I hear about kids thru-hiking and everything else, but I think it's more reasonable to assume that a child is going to take a very incremental approach to backpacking. The above suggestions (about toys, food, hiking approach) are all very good ... they definitely require a chance in focus and approach but if I take this child out again before she's 10, you can believe I will follow them!
Jane in CT
Frolicking Dinosaurs
08-19-2006, 08:57
Someone who has raised a lot of kids here. Children are individuals and no one approach to hiking is right for all. Some kids want to challenge the trail - they relish making big miles at a good speed. Most (IME) want to stop and play with the bugs, look at scat, explore the root system of downed trees, etc. Taylor your hikes with your children to their needs and their style(s) of hiking.
Remember, children are growing and that takes a lot of energy. While it is hard to believe given how active they are, they actually need more rest breaks than you do. Push them too hard and you will be dealing with an exhausted, cranky child. If this happens, your best bet IMO is to stop, do some cuddle time while sing to calm them and let them take a nap. Yes, it trashes your schedule, but it makes for a much nicer trip overall. Taking along a book for yourself makes this part more enjoyable :D
A few simple toys that can work with the items in the environment (like army men, farm animals) are great. My little spelling bee champ took the letter set from a scrabble board and had a great time spelling out the names of the things she was seeing. The toys chosen need to fit the child's interest.
icemanat95
08-28-2006, 10:09
Got a rude surprise this weekend. My wife had the kids at a local agricultural and colonial re-enactment thing and my son got stung by a bee on the finger. It quickly turned red and swelled up rock hard. the red started spreading up his arm and he started getting large swellings all over his body. Never had respiratory function compromised, but that may just be because they rushed him to the hospital. So now we have to have an epi-pen handy wherever he goes.
SGT Rock
08-28-2006, 10:17
Damn good thing you discovered this while you were near medical care.
Gray Blazer
08-28-2006, 10:57
I've had my 5 y/o boy He's got his own Kelty pack, Camelbak, Princeton Tec headlamp, trekking poles, hiking boots, merino wool socks, Crocs, Slumberjack bag, etc. That raises the cool factor for him, seeing he's got basically a lot of the same stuff I got. I
Bigben
He's better equiped than I am!! You're creating memories for your kids. I, for one, don't mind seeing kids on the trail.
Got a rude surprise this weekend. My wife had the kids at a local agricultural and colonial re-enactment thing and my son got stung by a bee on the finger. It quickly turned red and swelled up rock hard. the red started spreading up his arm and he started getting large swellings all over his body. Never had respiratory function compromised, but that may just be because they rushed him to the hospital. So now we have to have an epi-pen handy wherever he goes.
Its scary stuff alright - I had a systemic reaction last year after being stung by a couple yellowjackets a couple miles in the backcountry. I also now carry an epi-pen but I also know that the epi-pen is somewhat limited and the possibility exists that one injection might not be enough with a bad reaction. That is why to keep backpacking and hiking in areas where 911 is hours away I chose to be desensitized through a series of allergy shots - it is expensive but it is worth it to me not to lose the backcountry.