Our girls were 9 and 11 when we took them on their first backcountry camping adventure. We set out to hike Mount Isolation which is 14 miles round trip. The plan was to hike in, set-up camp, hike to the summit the next day and then head out. That was one plan anyway.
As we drove north we talked with the girls about what we hoped to accomplish – fun and adventure. If we made it to the summit that would be great, but just attempting it would be fun.
We hit the trail with our packs loaded, the girls carrying 12 pounds each in their overnight packs. After roughly three miles they were looking pretty spent. We stopped, snacked and went through the options we’d talked about on the ride up.
- We could turn around and head home.
- Turn around and go camp in a campground nearby.
- Set-up camp in the backcountry, as planned, and just enjoy where we were and forget about the summit.
They were really excited about camping in the woods, so we all agreed to option three. With the backcountry camping rules and leave no trace principles in mind, we found a flat area that was 200 feet away from both the trail and a water source and set-up camp. As we did, a moose tiptoed in behind us. I’m not kidding, this giant creature was no more than 30 feet away from us before we heard or saw it. The dog didn’t even hear it which was shocking.
Once we got everything set-up, we taught the girls how to use a water filter, camp stove, and how to safely make a very small campfire (there are rules to follow for this too). We also had to teach them how to use a bear bag to keep the food and anything sweet (toothpaste) elevated in a tree and away from the camp site. We spent hours exploring the nearby river and playing in the water. Dinner was hotdogs and beans, something easy to pack and cook with the small camp burner. The girls, dog and I were in our tent and Seth in his single person bivy sack by 8pm. We were up with the sun the next day and packed up as we ate breakfast of oatmeal and hot cocoa.
Important lessons from this hike – be patient, flexible and stay positive. We did not want the kids to feel like they had disappointed us by not reaching a mountain summit. This was truly all about the adventure and sharing our love of the outdoors with them. As we hiked back to the car the girls were listing off family and friends they’d like to bring with us the next time. Them talking about the “next time” was music to my ears.
Our youngest daughter lost a tooth right before bed.
