Description
This article is from the Outdoor
Activities for Young Children FAQ, by Gloria Logan
glogan@atk.com with numerous contributions by others.
14 BACKPACKING: TAHOE AREA:
A couple of weeks ago I asked for recommendations where to take my two
kids (7 and 10) in the Sierras for their initial backpacking trip.
I post this as both a report, several people wanted to know what I
found out, and with hope of discussion and suggestions about what
others have done and how to improve the trip next time.
We hiked just passed Five Lakes, off the Alpine Meadows trailhead, near
Tahoe. A ranger had recommended this hike to me, and she was exactly
right about virtually everything she said. It was uphill nearly the
whole way, with an elevation gain of about 600 feet in about the first
two miles. We stayed for 3 nights, doing day hikes the two layover days.
I had rented the kids packs at REI. They carried their own clothes and
sleeping bag and a cup tied to the pack. The younger one also carried
a box of granola bars. They also each had a comic book and a small
chapter book, as well as a few small, light toys to play with. They
both passed up the opportunity to carry a thermarest. They slept on
the ground without any problem, as my wife had predicted.
The beginning was inauspicious. As we got a late start from Oakland I
decided to lay over in the Super-8 in Trukee before packing in early
the next morning.
While working off their nervous energy from having been in the car for
3.5 hours, the older boy banged his head on a chair, causing a large,
bloody, but "cleanly cleaved" vertical gash that obviously required
stitches. So off to the emergency room, where he received eight
stitches and wound up looking like Frankenstein.
When I mentioned that this ended our trip before it started, the doctor
asked why. I said, what about infection? He said that there was no
more chance of infection than from being at home. If it was real
dusty, he said, just put on an extra coating of neosporine and cover it
with a bandaid.
So, after quieting my kid's upsetment (going to a movie helped), off we
went the next day.
The hike up was in the heat. The kids did great. But the younger one,
nearly 8, but quite small for his age, started to complain that his
"heart had a hernia".
We rested about 4 times on the way up--once for about a 45 minute lunch
break--until the trail finally crested and became level. Soon we could
see the first of the lakes through the woods with a use trail to it.
We needed to continue past the lakes and thus stay on the regular
trail. However, at this point I heard distinct mutinous remarks from
the troops. However, realizing that argument or discussion would do
little good, just the opposite, under the circumstances, I simply
walked on. Soon we came to the main lake, and we took a rest break for
about a half hour.
The kids played near the shore, putting them in better spirits. Then
we move on past the lakes (camping is not permitted by the lakes) about
a 1/4 of a mile and found a beautiful, established campsite, just as
the ranger had told us. "We're here," I said. I gave them a big
high-5 and a hug, and there were broad, spontaneous smiles of
accomplishment all around.
The campsite had a flat area for the tent and a fire circle with a
sitting log near it. A small stream ran near the camp. This not only
provided water but many hours of enjoyment for the kids' exploration
and play.
As the ranger had told us, the trail to Five Lakes is day-hiked (and
jogged). However, there weren't too many parties, at least when we did
it during the week. In addition, few people went passed the lakes. I
think 3 people jogged passed the lake to our campsite in the 4 days we
were there. The new trail connecting to the PCT ran about 75 yards
away in sight of our camp. Only a few parties passed on it, not
including the two coyotes who brazenly walked by on it, in full view of
us and our camp. On the day hikes we ran into two or three hikers on
each trip. There was no one else camping near us.
So, although we were close to civilization and also to help, at least
during the day, because of the people day hiking to the lakes, we were
pretty much alone, and definitely isolated at night. Perfect for me,
but somewhat boring for the kids who would have profited from the
company of other children.
The next day we did a day hike. It was quite hot and the hike was
downhill, which I didn't like. I much prefer uphill at the start so
it's downhill going back. This seems to make it easier on the kids
when they're tired (and thus on me, too).
I would say that they were still somewhat tired from the pack in the
day before. After a couple of miles we arrived at a stream where they
wanted to play at. "I thought you said you were hungry". "We are,
dad, but I'm hungry for play first."
This stream was considerably larger than the one near our campsite.
After about an hour or so, and after lunch, we started back. The older
boy pooped out on the way back (all uphill). But finally we made it.
This night the kids insisted on macaroni and cheese for dinner, instead
of Top Ramon. So I made both packs. However, after eating a bit of it
they both said it was awful. (I couldn't disagree with them.)
However, this was the worst night. After dinner they were tired and
bored and went into the tent and started cutting up. Well, fooling
around in the tent is not my idea of what should be happening (I'm
always afraid of damage to the tent), but I was never really successful
in calming them down.
The next day we took a bigger hike up a mountain. A snow pack on the
mountain was visible from our campsite. The kids desparately wanted
to visit and play on it. I told them I believed the trail went on the
other side of the mountain but, when high enough, we would cross
country to the snow pack, if possible.
The trail was all uphill and mostly in forest, until we reached tree
line. But at this point we could see the snow pack only about 50 yards
from the trail, so the kids went off to play in it.
Naturally, they wanted to slide around and all. If I had thought it
through, I would have insisted they bring a change of clothing.
Play went well on it for about 45 minutes, but then I heard the younger
one screaming and crying, and I thought he had broken a bone. I rushed
out. He had somehow caught his hands beneath a rock so that they were
trapped for a couple of minutes in the snow. They definitely had a
blue-ish tinge. Finally, we warmed them up sufficiently, though they
remained cold for a bit.
The other boy's hands were also very cold. More importantly, he had
lost his new pocket knife while sliding in the snow. He was very
bummed out by this. He tried to find it, twice, but with no success.
Luckily, and surprisingly, their clothes were not too wet. After a
short lunch, we hiked further on, getting beautiful views of Lake Tahoe
(the actual lake, itself), the nearby mountains, and the snow covered
mountains in the distance to the south. (We also got views of the
Squaw Valley ski lift, maintenance buildings, tram, etc., which were
less to my liking.)
As clouds with darkish undersides began to drift by more and more
frequently I thought it time we get back to camp, where our panchos
were. (Another great piece of planning on my part.) On the way back,
we crossed another stream about a quarter mile from camp. The younger
boy noticed a small school of trout in a pool right next to the trail
crossing, and we stopped here for about 20 minutes as the kids played
in the stream.
This night things went easier, although there were still an occassional
problem with the kids' behavior (due to boredom, I really believe).
The next and last morning, we packed up. After breakfast, the kids
pretty much packed their sleeping bags and packs, and then took off for
the stream where they had seen the trout the day before in an effort to
catch some with their hands. (I told them they couldn't spear them as
they had to be put back.)
When they got back I still had about 45 minutes of packing. It was
quite hot and there was also some difficulty now, as they just had to
hang out.
Finally, we were on our way, the kids saying (as they had the previous
night), how glad they were to be going back to civilization! As a
special incentive and reward, I told them they could pick where they
wanted to eat when we got out. They selected the Round Table Pizza in
Trukee.
The hike out only took an hour and a half, with just one short rest for
lunch. Except for this, they didn't want to stop. The younger boy
said it felt much easier now, no hernia in his heart. We made it back
to the car, but somehow there was no big climax of "we're done". We
all got in and drove to Trukee where we rejoined society at Round Table
Pizza. Although I wasn't into the pizza, nor the video games, nor the
music, I must admit the fresh salad tasted great! (But I'd still rather
be eating in camp.)
Now for some particulars:
CLOTHES: each boy brought two sets of clothes and an additional pair
of shoes. All the clothes they carried were in waterproof bags.
However, I forgot to put the sleeping bags in a waterproof bags.
BOOKS, etc.: Each kid as mentioned brought a comic book, a chapter
book, and a few small light toys, e.g., men. I now would have had them
bring more comic books, and would have happily let them each purchase
two or three instead on the one I did. I think with more to read they
would have been somewhat less bored.
FOOD: For breakfast I brought oatmeal packets and some cold cereal.
For lunches and snacks there were bread, peanut butter, honey, string
cheese, a small salami, lemonade mix, Peet's coffee for me, granola
bars, trail mix, M&Ms, Triscuits, margarine, and some hard boiled eggs.
For dinner I had bought 8 Top Ramons and 3 Kraft macaroni and cheeses.
There was also hot cocoa mix and a few marshmellows.
I had purchased some cold cuts for the hike in, and these proved to be
very popular.
Well, the bread was a disaster, having gotten crushed in the pack. So,
the peanut butter and honey never got used (but weighed a lot). The
salami proved an unexpected hit. By the day out we had run out of most
of the snack food, having only a couple of granola bars and some string
cheese. But the kids weren't too interested in lunch, so it didn't
matter.
Next time I would bring more snack food, saltine crackers to make
sandwiches with (they asked if I had brought them), and some plain
pasta. Serving this with margarine is all they require, at least for
now. In addition, I think I cold cuts purchased that morning could
last to the first night's evening meal.
I looked at the more expensive meals at REI. But since I'm satisfied
with Top Ramon at $.33 a pack, I saw no reason to purchase $6.95
dinners (which might not taste as good, anyway). This is one time I've
been thankful for the kids' simple tastes (although the younger one is
quite picky).
IN CAMP: lots of work for me before and after breakfast and dinner.
My wife couldn't make it, so I was constantly busy without much time to
just lay back. It was the kids' job to take care of getting water and
purifying it. This had to be done several times a day. I did the food
cleanup. It was easier this way, and there wasn't much of it (I used a
total of 3 small cups and 1 pan, although I had brought some plates and
bowls).
Although hardly a neatness freak at home, I like a clean, well
organized camp. Not only is it disconcerting to me in comparison to
the scenery if the camp is messy, but it often seems important to find
something right away. This "everything in its place right away
attitude" caught the kids by surprise. One of them said: "It's hard."
(I would judge them as average in neatness, compared to other kids, at
home.)
ON THE TRAIL: The kids were also surprised by my quite careful
attitude to food and water when hiking. I wanted to impress upon them
the need to take care with these so as not to be caught short due to
losing food or water through fooling around or carelessness or waste.
We had a couple of discussions as to how on the trail water can be more
valuable than gold, and I told them the story of Walter Houston's
experienced old prospector saying that very thing to Humphrey Bogart
and Tim Holt in "The Treasure of the Sierra Madre". They made me
promise we could rent the movie upon their return.
FIRES: the first night we made a fire. The kids really wanted it.
But a half hour after they wanted to go to bed, and they were really
tired and falling asleep. Well, this meant having to now put the fire
out, make sure it was out, etc. So, we didn't make fires again the
next two nights. This was a disappointment to us all. I need to
figure out a better system next year. Maybe making the fire right
after dinner, when it's still plenty light, would do.
COMPANY: Although I want isolation (with my family) I think it would
have worked out better if my wife had been with us and even better
if another family with kids had been with us. Maybe next time.
I would say given the amount of time we were together with no outside
company, I think the kids did great.
SUMMARY: Overall I think this was a very positive experience for my
two boys and myself. Although reluctant to admit it, I think that
overall they had a very good time (a lot of fun) and felt quite proud
of their hiking accomplishments and of being in the woods for 4 days
and three nights. (My wife thinks this also.)
As for me, this was my first backpack in nearly 8 years (the last was
only a few months before the younger was born), and I can't wait to do
it again!
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children, child, kid, Outdoor Activities, backpacking, ski, canoeing, biking, camping, trailer
