Registered: 02/03/06
Posts: 6800
Loc: Gateway to Columbia Gorge
Aren't the Wind Rivers spectacular? Heaven on earth, IMHO, despite the "interesting" weather.
My parents took me there when I was 9. I've been back a couple of times trying to recreate the experience; hopefully next summer I can make up for what I missed last summer with a sick dog. Maybe I'll take my grandson who will be 10!
Beautiful pictures! Thank you!
Edited by OregonMouse (10/04/0901:18 AM)
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May your trails be crooked, winding, lonesome, dangerous, leading to the most amazing view--E. Abbey
I agree. Kids are tough. Mine is at the awkward stage between being too heavy to pack, but still too small to walk long distances by himself. Maybe when he gets 6 or so.
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If you go hiking with friends, there are many plans to coordinate; if you go hiking alone, you can leave right now.
When my oldest boy was 4, I'd take him on 3 to 4 mile hikes and expect to carry him on my shoulders for the last mile or half-mile. He is 5 now and after a growth spurt, has graduated to a waist-pack that can carry his snacks, a quart of water, and whatever gear he wants to bring (usually a head-lamp for caving and a walkie-talkie and whistle for if he gets lost). In another year or two, I'll let him carry a small pack on overnights.
I'd agree - with Ford I saw in him that he had an energy/toughness level that many kids didn't have - so I exploited it. The summer he was 4 I started him on harder hikes and by end of that summer he had been on many 10+ mile hikes often with 2-3K of elevation gain. I never carried him (I couldn't!) and he always had a pack on. He started backpacking with me the next year and by 7 had done trips with up to 18 miles in a 24 hour period.
Is that for all kids? No! But if you get a natural hiker, take it for all you can get
Ford is 12 now, considerably taller than me and can out hike me. Not a bad place to be!
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Freezer Bag Cooking, Trail Cooking, Recipes, Gear and Beyond: www.trailcooking.com
Registered: 12/27/05
Posts: 931
Loc: East Texas Piney Woods
I started serious camping with my son when he was 10 years old as a Webelos Scout. He is now a Life Scout and should earn his Eagle in the next 3 months. He's very skilled in the woods and I would take him backpacking anywhere now. He's done a 70 mile hike at Philmont and done 100+ canoe trip in the BWCA. His remaining goal is to do tall ship sailing in the Caribbean.
Two weekends ago we did a 23 mile hike in a day (it was a killer).
He's 16 years old now, taller than me and put on 19 pounds since his last check up 6 months ago.
If he didn't have the outdoors, he'd go insane!
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If you think you can, you can. If you think you can't, you can't. Either way, you're right.
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