|
Sunday, July 3, 2005
Start small
Copyright © 2005 Blethen Maine Newspapers Inc. | ||||||
 |
Also on this page: READ UP TO BE READY | |||||
Seated on rocks in the middle of the trail, the mom and dad and their three children had the woebegone look of tired hikers. Their expressions said it all: Why did we come to this place? It wasn't the best day for a family hike up Mount Washington. Temperatures on the Tuckerman Ravine trail hovered around 80. The air was sultry. As I approached the group, hiking solo and on my way to the summit, an empty water bottle lying on the trail in front of the dejected five showed they were suffering from more than heat and exhaustion. They were out of water. On top of that, they were overdressed. And the school-style backpacks the kids wore looked uncomfortable. I offered them water, but the dad declined. I could tell he cared about his family and wasn't about to accept water from a sweaty stranger. But our conversation was friendly. Minutes later the family decided to call it quits. It was a good decision, considering their predicament. IF ONLY... Continuing on my way, I thought of how much better this family's first hike might have been if... If instead of climbing Mount Washington, they had walked across Route 16 at the base of the mountain and taken a lovely little walk to Lonesome Lake. Or they could have driven a few miles north for a short walk to a fine rock outcropping called Imp Face. They might have worn hiking shorts instead of blue jeans, and they should have had five times as much water as they carried. Hiking with kids can be great fun, when planning and attitude are right. Children add to the outing by noticing things adults miss. They're funny. At the end of a good hike they're ready to go again. Two of my three children began their hiking careers in kiddy packs. All three made their first solo assents on Bradbury Mountain (484 feet) in Pownal. They next climbed Mount Megunticook in Camden. Later came overnight hikes beginning with a stay at Carter Notch Hut in New Hampshire, run by the Appalachian Mountain Club in New Hampshire. How do you make a family hike (or a divorced parent with kid hike) safe and fun? Robin Thayer, a Maine master guide who lives in Richmond, puts at the top of her list ample drinking water, first-aid supplies, snack foods - and amusement. "Kids have a short attention span and sort of need to be entertained," she said. "So have things with you of general interest such as a book on trees or animal tracks. Disposable cameras are good because they give kids something to do, and if they break it's no big deal." Comfortable footwear and breathable rain gear are among things Thayer stresses. "And of course hydrate," she said. "Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate." TIPS TO EASE THE WAY In their book, "Best Hikes With Children: Vermont, New Hampshire & Maine," Cynthia and Thomas Lewis point out other important principles:
Mainers who hike with children have favorite places. Rick Churchill, a former South Portland resident now living in Newry, recommends Steep Falls in Grafton Notch. "It's easy hiking. There are scenic falls and wonderful swimming on a hot summer day," he said. "Care must be taken with young children in that there are some potentially dangerous spots where a young child could fall." In Evans Notch, Churchill recommends Blueberry Ridge Trail as "a fairly easy" hike for strong 10- or 11-year-olds and teens. "A side trip to the green pool for a breathtaking dip in the cold water is a good reward at the end of the hike." To make treks with kids more successful, Churchill suggests "plenty of rewards in the form of snacks, views, wildlife, swims - and of course an ice cream stop on the way home." KIDS SET THE PACE Bob Cummings of Phippsburg, a thru-hiker of the Appalachian Trail, introduced his youngest son to hiking when the boy was 3. The hike was to Chimney Pond Campground in Baxter State Park, where the 3-year-old camped with his parents, older brother and sister. Cummings lists four techniques that "made our trips work." Aside from boosts over big rocks or logs, he never carried anyone. Kids set the pace. "And everyone carried a pack," he said. "It made the kids part of the expedition, not someone being taken on a trip by parents. The packs were light. But even the youngest carried his own sleeping bag, at least." Finally, Cummings allowed more than enough time to reach destinations. "I would never be anxious and try to hurry the kids," he said. "Kids are curious creatures. They like to look at things and dawdle. They like to stop at ponds for a swim. This is only possible if one hikes slowly and with plenty of time to reach a camping site." Like Cummings and his wife, Mary Ellen, Bill and Gayle Holden of Richmond treat their two children to the hiking life. He is a manager at Bath Iron Works. She is a Methodist minister. The Holdens introduced their children to hiking with easy walks on Swan Island in the Kennebec. Then came a trek up Mount Chocorua in New Hampshire. They went on to climb many other peaks. They bring fruit on day hikes. Favorite trail foods include hard salami and cheese on pita bread and, said Bill Holden, "things that wouldn't get squished." On their hikes, the Holdens bring one uncommon piece of equipment: a kite. "We have a tradition," said Holden, "of flying a kite from the top of the mountain." Lloyd Ferriss is a writer and photographer who lives in Richmond.
|
||||||