This winter we’ve suffered multiple, untimely toddler illnesses. A trip to Steamboat Springs ended up three days holed up in a condo with a miserable two year old instead of winter family fun. A trip to Leadville got canceled altogether, due to yet another round of colds keeping us down. So unfortunately there will be no posts about these, however, it did make me nostalgic for misadventures of the past… Continue reading “My Favorite Camping Disasters”
As the kids eagerly submit their Christmas lists and toy flyers with nearly every item on every page circled, they most likely did not include any hiking or camping gear. But Christmas is an excellent opportunity to outfit your tiny adventurers, sneaking in some useful gifts now, that will make a more enjoyable summer and offset costs when gearing up before the first trip of the season. Continue reading “Gift Ideas for Your Tiny Hikers and Campers”
It’s officially fall and we have another season of camping with kids under our belts. It was a fantastic summer and as always we made many “notes to self.” Here are my best hacks/tips we discovered this year. Continue reading “Top 5 Things I Learned this Summer”
It’s not too late. After a drive this past weekend in Rocky Mountain National Park I’d say we were one week early for peak leaf peeping. Many spots in the park including one of my favorite aspen groves in Horseshoe Park are still green but a trip up Old Fall River Road provided plenty of gold patches along mountainsides. Continue reading “Taking the High Roads: Fall Color in Rocky Mountain National Park”
I think of dispersed car camping as the happy medium between campgrounds and the back country. And since I can’t fathom carrying the gear required to take kids camping on my back, this will be the most rustic experience we can manage- until we buy that alpaca.
There are more dusty roads in the Colorado wilderness than a two year old can shake a stick at. And along these roads are dispersed sites that are a great way to get off the beaten path without hiking in. But as wonderful as it is, there are some things to consider, especially when camping with kiddos. Continue reading “Dispersed Site Car Camping: Top 3 Pros, Cons and Essentials”
Three years ago I joined the ranks of the Monday through Friday, 8-5 crowd. I was giddy at the prospect of having summer weekends off- all the camping, all the hiking, all the family time. And it has been wonderful.
But there is a dark side…
Continue reading ““Site Taken” – Campsite Reservations in the Poudre Canyon”
I gripped my trekking pole tighter, the animal was definitely right outside the tent, snorting. Only a thin piece of nylon separated us from a giant beast. As I lay, heart racing, in our two-man tent, I decided a moose was definitely better than a bear or a mountain lion since it wouldn’t eat us. But it could definitely trample us to death still orphaning our two young girls at home… so I elbowed my sleeping husband, deciding fear of imminent death was better shared.
I am not crafty. I admire those who see an old piece of furniture and can remake it into something I then want to buy for too much money. Or scrapbookers who get the fancy sheets and the stickers and document their kids’ childhoods one theme at a time. I see stuff on Pinterest and think, “oooh that’s nice” but never think to do it myself. It’s good to know your limits. Continue reading “The Making of a Hiking Journal”
When my 5 year old got bored at our campsite and asked to use my phone to take pictures, I hesitated, but handed over my iPhone. For someone who loves photography, I can’t help but get excited when my kid wants to take pictures too. Besides, I have an Otterbox. Continue reading “Through a Child’s Eyes”
toddlerado 