Hiking With Kids

I had such a good time on our vacation hiking with my daughter that I am ready to do it again!

Here are a few tips to make hiking with kids easier:
1)  Bring a Camelback or other type of backpack that holds water in it for you and your child.  Then, use a carabiner to hook a smaller water or energy drink to your child's belt or backpack.  
2)  Fix a small, light backpack for your child to carry.  Include a flash light and special snacks just for them such as apples, peanut butter and dried fruit. 
3)  Spray bottles!  Fill spray bottles with water for your child to spray themselves (or others!) when it gets hot.
4)  Take lots of breaks!
5)  Let them choose a special hat to wear.
6)  These bandanas were awesome!  You soak them in water and they stay cool!

7)  Get them special hiking shoes and socks and be sure they wear them ahead of time to break them in.
8)  Give your child a disposable camera, or even their own camera to take their own pictures with.  The Bean is an awesome camera for kids!

9) Laminate a trail map and let your child mark the route you are traveling with a dry erase marker. 
Have Fun!!!

Hiking, hiking, hiking!

 On our vacation out west, we went on a fantastic hike.  We hiked down the Supai trail and into the Havasupai Village which is an Indian village down the side of a mountain near the Grand Canyon.  According to the Havasu website, the village, also known as Supai, has been home to the Havasupai Indians for many centuries. As time evolved the village has grown with many homes sprouting and taking root in areas where there used to be only farmlands. The village boasts a small café, lodge, post office, school, church, clinic, police station, and a general store. 

It was an 8 mile hike down a mountain and along a dry river bed to get to the village.  My daughter did so well hiking, never whined at all, and we went with 9 other friends and family members.  We did not start out until about 9:30, definitely not recommended in summer, and arrived in the village at 4:30.  When we finally got near the village, we were so hot and miserable, but we could hear water rushing by and we all ran and jumped in an ice cold river!  That definitely helped us to hike the last mile to the lodge where we were staying!  We ate in the cafe and then hit the sack.  
The next morning we hiked about 4 more miles (round trip) to Navaho Falls, Havasu Falls and Mooney Falls.  You can swim in the waterfalls and it was absolutely beautiful and the water was so refreshing on such a hot afternoon!  Their campground is beautiful too, right beside the river, however I was so thankful for the air conditioning and bed at the lodge!

The next day we were leaving, and we did not want to make the same mistake hiking out in the heat of the day, so we left at 3:00 in the morning.  It was still dark and was beautiful hiking through the canyons at night with the full moon hanging over the cliffs.  It only took us 5 hours going out and I was so glad that I did it!  I think that my dad would be so proud of me, it was his final wishes for my family to go there because he was so impressed with the beauty there.  We definitely were too!

my workouts are not working out

In less than a month I will be in Arizona attempting my first hike!  In the Grand Canyon! 

My brother claims that he is going to walk circles around me, so I have been trying to prepare.  I really don't want to be the one who is dragging behind and whining, so I am really trying to train, but something always seems to get in my way!  For example, one day last week, I got to the gym and as I was running in to change, I spotted my daughter standing in the corner of the daycare with her back pressed to the wall.  I waved to her and she ran past me in tears and into the changing room.  Turned out she had split her pants.  No workout that day.  Had to put my workout shorts on my poor kid and take her home.  Oh, and nothing like, conference night, open house, band concerts, dances and field trips to set me back as well. 

Another obstacle I'm facing is that in Florida is flat, so walking around a track is probably not good preparation for walking up a mountain.  I have been trying to get to the gym to walk on an incline for as long as I can, but I simply don't have time in my life for this working out thing! The largest chunk of time I have been able to walk for so far has been one hour and ten minutes.  I would have walked longer that time, but there was an old man on the treadmill next to me who kept trying to run really fast and then would jump to the sides and pant for awhile like he was going to die, and then do it again.  I just knew he was going to fly off or have a heart attack (or both), so I had to leave.  Oh well, at least I wasn't running next to this guy!