Pages

Friday, June 29, 2018

Photo Friday: Backpacking with the kids

All this packing and sorting has me feeling sort of nostalgic, so I thought I'd take a deep dive into the photos for some of our earlier backpacking adventures with our boys. These are from the summer of 2005, when they were 6 & 7 years old.

We did several shorter trips in Colorado that summer, before we headed to Wyoming for our longer (I think 6 days, 5 nights) trip. The boys were small, so Mom and Dad were definitely packhorses--and we didn't know as much about lightweight gear then, either. Glad to put those days behind us, but it was fun to hike with our boys.

Did a quick overnight into the back side of the Maroon Bells Wilderness. Not the popular part, but rugged and scenic.
Kid-sized packs--you have to match the pack to the size of the kid, even if it can't hold much. Note the all-important stuffies poking their heads out to watch where we were going.
I think it was pretty early, given the amount of snow around!
A room with a view.
 Take kids outdoors and they will find their own fun! A bit of a drop-off on a snowbank, and they had an adventurous slide.
Note the judicious use of reasonably water-proof pants, though the sneakers just got wet.
The Rockies are noted for the wildflowers, and even that early in the season, we saw some. These sky pilots are a favorite--they only grow in the alpine, a dash of color in the most unlikely places.

A closer look.
In early August, we headed to Montana, to the Wind River Mountains.
With the little ones, it took a couple of days to get up here, but it was worth the wait.
Pop up a couple of tents, and we're all right at home.
 
We went even higher, until there was no shelter but the rocks.
I love camping in spots like this, but the kids always felt a little uncomfortable above tree line. We compromised and never spent too long in the alpine.
Sometimes we move camp late in the day, after exploring. The late afternoon light is the best!



Writing and drawing in camp started early for this one--he still does it, and inspires me to try to write some stories while we are out.



And, finally, a shot I really love!
You tell me what the caption should be!
If you like this, and you want more--or you want to inspire your own kids and take them hiking, consider ordering A is for Alpine--my picture book for little hikers!
https://www.ninjalibrarian.com/p/blog-page_11.html
ebook from Amazon 

And don't forget that we are all heroes--and there are still a few days left in my Hero Month promotion for Halitor the Hero!


©Rebecca M. Douglass, 2018
As always, please ask permission to use any photos or text. Link-backs appreciated!



7 comments:

  1. My caption: "Just which way *is* the Hundred Acre Wood?"

    BTW I'm having trouble with your comments form recognising me again, even if I'm already logged into Google it won't recognise me.

    Then it wouldn't let me comment at all. And now it will....

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Great caption!
      And ugh. I'm having trouble with the comments, which continue to fail to notify me.

      Delete
  2. Two adventurous little boys! Beautiful photographs.

    Re Jemima’s comment above, I have the same problems with any Blogger blog at the moment. I don’t know what Google is up to!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Worked right away this time though!

      Delete
    2. Glad it worked this time--and glad to hear maybe I'm not completely alone in having issues!

      Delete
  3. Wow! Looks like a great adventure time! I love those flowers. The ice is amazing. I'm guessing some of that is melting in the temps now. Have a great weekend!
    ~Xyra

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I'm not sure what kind of snow year CO had this year. I think that the snowbanks were a pretty early-season trip, early July or even June. But snow levels can vary pretty wildly. Long time ago now...12 years? They were such sweet little guys :D

      Delete

We want to hear from you! Tell us your reactions, or whatever's on your mind.