The Family's First Backpacking Trip

25 miles, 3 days, 4500 feet in elevation
Start: Green Lakes, Hoover Wilderness
End: Glen Aulin, Tuolomne Meadows Yosemite

Theme Song (Kim): "Move Along Train, You've Got a Heavy Load" - Staple Singers
Theme Song (Claire): "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Song/ABC"- Claire
Theme Song (Morgan): Unknown

Though the terrain was not the most challenging, our packs were heavy and there was the added challenge of entertaining a two year old. My pack, was 40 pounds, carrying Claire (25 lbs), plus other gear. Morgan's pack was 65 pounds.

When she wasn't sleeping, or playing with the trinkets tied to the backpack, Claire liked to sing - Twinkle, twinkle little star, ABCs, and then words to the tune of twinkle, twinkle. "Raining raining raining" was one that I remember. She also would cry sometimes. Probably not more than in a usual day with mommy & daddy, but -- nearer. We set goals for ourselves, 60 minutes hiking, 10 minute breaks. Morgan would lie to us about how long it has been to reach other arbitrary stopping points that somehow lend more sense of accomplishment. In some ways, this was better as we did have to go a long way, and there was only one way to get there - walk.

We did not make things easier for ourselves by only going three miles the first day. This was somewhat based on the decision that I had made in my mind 1 1/2 miles into the hike that I would not go further than the planned first day. This thought was quite comforting to me as I struggled on through the first day. However, the lake we stayed at in the first night was beautiful. And the thought occurred to me that what else would we do with the time that I would feel was better spent than if not walking. I didn't believe that I couldn't physically do it - just that I didn't want the strain of caring for another person while purusing this pastime. But seeing the lake, seeing Claire so excited by the tent and the preparations. And so I started to get enthusiastic about the idea of doing the rest of the trip together as a family.

I thought of the family that we saw on a previous trip, with my brother, before Claire was born. This was a family of 5, girls age 9, 12, 15, doing a 200 mile, month long trip. The three of us were in awe of the "Iron Family" -- while we were congratulating ourselves on a hard day, there they would be going another couple miles. I realized that there's only one way to get to be an Iron Family -- and that's by backpacking.

So at the end of the day, or days (13 miles Day 2, 9 miles Day 3), I am very glad that we did this trip. There was much to like, and much to dislike, but there is no doubt that it was an accomplishment in the face of doubt, which feels like something.