Re: [at-l] Children?

[Jim Owen <jimandginnyo@juno.com>]

You might want to check out Cindy Ross's book on children and the
outdoors. She and her husband began section hiking the CDT with their two
kids when the kids were about 1 1/2 and 3.  They would hike, with llamas
to carry gear and the kids, for two months at a time.  They finished the
CDT two years ago when the kids were about 6 and 7. Very hard core! We
met a couple in the Wind River Range in Wyoming out for 10 days with a
two year old and two llamas.  I know there is a family on the PCT that
also backpacks with their kids.  Youngest I have met actually backpacking
was about four or five.  She had had a hard time going through brush, but
got her energy back pretty quickly at the end of the day. She was doing 6
miles a day, at that time.  The youngest AT thruhiker was 8 I think. 

If you start them on leisurely walks as soon as they can walk, then
longer hikes, then overnight trips, you can gradually ease them into it.
It is a very different experience though. The kids can't carry much more
than snacks and maybe a sweater and you have to stop often as they get
bored with doing nothing but walking. I think Cindy said that they would
walk for half an hour, then play for  half an hour.  They had to carry a
lot of extra toys and books for the kids (hence the llamas.)  But they
loved it. Both kids and adults.  It is a trip to watch kids relate to the
outdoors - every tiny detail is fascinating.  They don't care about grand
vistas nearly as much as a line of ants across the trail or a pretty rock
in a stream. Oh to see the world through the eyes of a child again!
Ginny



On Sun, 9 Apr 2000 20:30:02 -0500 "Glenn Briggs" <4glenn@home.com>
writes:
>     What age is to young too backpack on the trail? What have been 
> your
> experiences? We don't have kids yet but we do have plans for the 
> trail in
> the future.
> 
> Glenn
> 
> * From the AT-L |  Need help? http://www.backcountry.net/faq.html  *

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