14er – take 2

Although Atlas technically went to the top of a 14er (14 thousand foot peak) when he was in Yadéeh’s belly, we thought it would be fun to see if we could aim for another one, now that he was his own person. Every year for Labor Day, we try to take a big backpacking trip. This year, we wanted to explore more of southern Colorado. Initially, we thought of starting to begin hiking the Colorado Trail in segments. However, after looking into it, the necessary hiking distance each day was a bit much for Yadéeh with a 45 lb pack (when you count a 30 lb Atlas) and a 60 lb pack for Justin (since he had to carry virtually all of the gear for the three of us).

We decided to hike in to Navajo Lake—an alpine lake outside of Telluride in the Lizard Head Wilderness, which is part of the San Juan Mountains. Navajo Lake also happens to be nestled below three 14ers: Mount Wilson, El Diente, and Wilson Peak, as well as one 13er (Gladstone Peak).  There is no shortage of mountains to climb when camping in the Navajo Lake basin.

We arrived at the trailhead and were pleasantly surprised by the relative lack of cars in the parking area, considering it was a trailhead to 14ers on Labor Day weekend.  With clear skies and a nice cool breeze, we were set to hike in perfect weather. Atlas started out riding in the carrier, and even fell asleep for a bit. When he woke up, he decided he wanted to hike. This was a double-edged sword. On the one hand, he wants to hike, which is great for both Yadéeh’s comfort and his experience and buildup of endurance and enjoyment of hiking. On the other hand, it means very slow progress, as he picks up rocks, touches EVERY plant of a certain kind, looks for more grasshoppers, etc.  His slow progress wore on Justin because of the difficulty of carrying such a large load at this speed. As a result, Justin hiked ahead with our friend Kenneth, while Yadéeh and Atlas strolled along at Atlas pace until he decided “I just resting” and sat in the middle of the trail.

The views along the way were breathtaking: To the west, we saw Dolores Peak (13,290 ft) jutting above the wildflower-laden alpine meadows through which our trail meandered. After resting, hiking, resting, hiking, resting, Atlas finally wanted to ride in the backpack again. Of course, this was right as the switchbacks were starting up. We don’t know which was slower, Atlas hiking at his pace, or Yadéeh carrying Atlas up the switchbacks. Yadéeh and Atlas eventually made it to camp around the time Justin finished setting up the tent. Justin found a nice site right outside of the actual basin so we could have camp fires and be away from other campers. Star-gazing with no ambient light other than the camp fire, while being serenaded by the sound of a rushing stream and taking in the crisp mountain air never gets old.

Once camp was set up, we took a relaxed stroll over to the lake for a little exploring. Atlas did great hiking around on the scree fields. There were a few “chairs” made up of rocks from the talus field set up to overlook the lake, so we took a seat and relaxed for a bit. That’s when we saw a pika! We hadn’t seen them before, so it was very exciting (at least for Yadéeh…). A challenge you never really think about, when deciding to include your toddler in your adventures is that when both parents want to rest, from a hard days hike, the kid wants to play! Luckily, back at camp, Atlas was able to wonder around with the dogs. That’ll do the trick.

 

Another challenge is keeping your toddler in his sleeping bag throughout the night so he doesn’t freeze. Getting Atlas into his bag at the start of the night is never an issue. It’s keeping him in it that is the problem. We make sure to dress him warm enough in case he gets out of his bag, but even then, it was a cold night. Atlas woke up in the middle of the night fighting to get out and took some time to calm him down enough to get him bundled up again.

With the sun brought the ambition to try for a 14er! Maybe. As we hiked up the steep scree mountain side, the winds started whipping through the basin. Atlas started to get cold, which was not surprising since he has such little body fat and was stationary in the carrier. We stopped for lunch and improvised a way to keep him warm. Yadéeh’s puffy on his legs with his rain pancho to keep out the wind, Justin’s on his upper body, with the pack rain cover for added protection. That made him a happy camper. 

Although, Justin decided it would be best for him and Atlas to descend to basecamp because the wind was turning Atlas’s carrier into a sail, Yadéeh and Kenneth continued to climb out of the basin.  However, they too decided to turn around at about 13,000 feet because the trail forked with each fork being a 3^rd class scramble up a different 14er.  The winds on the way back were much fiercer than before, which meant Justin made the right decision.

Meanwhile, back at camp, Justin saw two marmots playing around on some rocks, while Atlas slept in the carrier. When Atlas heard about sleeping through the marmot siting, he of course wanted to try and find them again. 

Jade and Roscoe (the dogs) couldn’t agree more. They were continuously chasing after the pika and marmots then entire trip. Yadéeh and Kenneth met up with Justin and Atlas down by the lake. On the hike back to camp, Yadéeh and Atlas found raspberries, ripe for the picking, another thing that Atlas was very excited about. We kept our eyes open for more, but had no luck. We did, however, find some great firewood, which Atlas gladly helped carry back to camp, whereupon he began telling Justin and Kenneth how the dogs barked when other hikers passed by. Silly kid.

The remainder of the trip was filled with more of the same, which never gets old. At Atlas’s age (2.5 years old), it is a bit easier for us to set up and break down camp, since Atlas can help, or at least keep himself entertained while we do the work. For example, he used a log to do the yoga airplane pose. 

The hard part is keeping track of him. We may have to invest in a GPS tracker, just to be safe.  Atlas hiked quite a bit of the hike out, again, a slow endeavor, which resulted in us getting home later than desired, but we still let him do his thing. We don’t want Atlas to become frustrated or turned off to hiking and exploring outside, and, kids will be kids. Hopefully, the more he gets used to hiking, the sooner he will be ready to carry some of the weight!

After we got home, Justin did a bit more research on the 14ers in the area. Yes, that is the kind of backwards thinking he is known for.  It turns out that it wouldn’t have been safe to summit any of them anyhow, as they are all technical ascents. Perhaps we’ll find a less technical one as a family hike for next summer.  We will also be back either without Atlas or with him when he is a bit older to tick off those technical routes!  We are already wondering if they make ice axes for toddlers.

Let the Adventures Begin

What better way is there to spend a long 4th of July weekend than backpacking in Colorado and summiting Mt. Elbert, the 2nd tallest peak in the continental US? We began our hike up the switchbacks toward the continental divide trail, where we planned to make basecamp, so that we were away from all of the car campers. While the hike was fairly steep, it was not even close the steepest trail I’ve hiked and I thought I was in pretty good hiking shape.  Despite all of that, not long into the hike I was having a very hard time getting a full breath. I had no idea why this trail was kicking my butt. Eventually, like the little engine that could, I made it to the top at 14,439 ft right as a snowstorm was rolling in...and so did Atlas. As it turns out, I struggled so much because I was about a month pregnant – I just did not know it yet. And so the adventures and challenges with my active lifestyle while pregnant began.

I was determined to not let something like growing a little human being stop me from maintaining my adventurous lifestyle, but I also didn’t want to risk harming my growing baby. I came to terms with the fact that I’d be hanging in the ski lodge for the ski season instead of tearing up black diamonds, especially since Atlas was due February 19^th.  I still wanted to keep hiking, backpacking, climbing, and snowshoeing as much as possible. The hardest part during the first month or two was keeping the pregnancy a secret. For example, how do you justify not climbing when you’ve just hiked a steep 1.5 miles to the crag? Blaming it on little sleep and “just not feelin’ it today” would have to do.

I continued to climb until about 25 weeks pregnant, when the harness just wouldn’t fit right anymore. Lead climbing was out of the question, and after a sketch day (per the norm) multi-pitch trad climbing in the Sandias, it became apparent that multi-pitch trad climbing and the approaches the climbs in the Sandias were probably not a good idea either.

But, that still allowed me to be a top rope tough girl – both at our local climbing gym as well as the local sport climbing crags. 

At 18 weeks pregnant, I started to be fully aware at how few routes I’d be able to climb. We went to Diablo Canyon outside of Santa Fe and really wanted to climb Post Moderate, a 165 foot 5.9 climb. When I reached the mid-point, I had to make a decision: stop here and rappel down, or push it to the top. I went for it and made it! However, that was all I climbed that day, as I was completely exhausted. By Halloween, I was done climbing, unless I wanted to invest in a full body harness, which would just be goofy.

The big challenge was keeping our backpacking trip in Glacier National Park on track. Before I became pregnant, we already had summer plans to do a grueling 5-7 day backpacking trip in Glacier National Park with our friend Joe McCoy.  Despite being 16 weeks pregnant, Justin and Joe wanted to attempt a much more ambitious trip than I thought I could handle. It was difficult sticking to my guns, but we ultimately decided on a trip that would be both adventurous and doable for me, given my current condition.  One logistical hurdle was that while my backpack still fit me, I had to really watch how much weight I carried – Justin had to carry a larger proportion of our gear than usual.  That quickly became the least of my concerns. Never before have I craved fresh food (versus dehydrated meals and snacks) so early on during a backpacking trip. Picking thimbleberry along the trail while bear calling, since I was alone as a result of my internal break at any sign of an incline, was delicious, but wasn’t enough to satisfy Atlas. To put icing on the cake, sleeping on a pad when you have to sleep on your side, and the constant need to pee throughout the night got old very fast.

Because of permitting issues in the park, we did two 3 day trips, rather than 1 long trip, which worked out for the better. One benefit to hiking so much slower than usual (which was a difficult pill to swallow), was that it forced me to really take in and appreciate the amazing views that Glacier has to offer.

On day two, we hiked about 5 miles to our second camp at Gunsight Lake. Since we arrived pretty early in the day, and couldn’t do the through hike we were hoping for, we did a day hike up the ridge toward Gunsight Pass. Always in the back of my mind was the fear of accidently overexerting myself and harming my growing baby. Thus, before we went over the pass, I told the guys I’d wait for them at a good rest spot, and took a nice, much needed nap, while they played farther up the trail. All-in-all, we backpacked 26.4 miles and day hiked 14 miles (10 of which was in a single day) over the course of 7 days —not too shabby for a lethargic pregnant woman. Click here for more pictures from this trip.

With my growing belly and the shorter days, we had to settle for shorter day hikes by November. When the snow finally fell in the Middle Rio Grande Valley, I relished the opportunity to get out and add some variety to my hiking. It was time to start snowshoeing! The challenge at this point was to find clothes that would still fit…fortunately for me, I could either not button my pants or Justin had an old pair of snow pants that fit my protruding belly.

 

Each trip was about 3 miles, not too shabby! Unfortunately, a hike in mid-January triggered early contractions (at 35 weeks) and I was put on bed rest. While bed rest was for the better, it proved to be very frustrating, given my independence and drive to be active.  But, as soon as I was given the all clear from our midwife, I was back on the trail at 38 weeks. We continued to do casual hikes, and 2 days after one such hike, Atlas was born at-home after 4 hours of labor. Click here to read more about that and see amazing photos by SarahLove Photography.

As to be expected, I had to take a bit of time to recover, so we took our first hike as a family when Atlas was only 3 ½ weeks old. The plan was to do a light stroll in the foothills, but things with us never go according to plan. Somehow we chose a route that went straight up the mountain, or so it felt to me and it didn’t help that Justin was in the midst of training to climb Mount Rainier, so the hike did not seem very difficult to him.  It felt great to get outside again.

By the time Atlas was 5 weeks old (click here for pictures) we went out climbing together and by the time he was 4 ½ months old (click here for pictures) we tackled our first backpacking trip. I won’t go into too much detail on the post-baby outings, in case we decide to expand on them in future blogs, but I will say, the main challenge was breastfeeding while hiking.

Throughout the pregnancy and the post-partum months to follow, one of the biggest obstacles for both Justin and I was accepting that we couldn’t do as much as we used to be able to, no matter how much we wished it were true. We ultimately came to terms with it and took it one stride at a time, enjoying the view along the way.

Mosquitos and the Boundary Waters

            If you were to ask the average person if they would spend a 6 day vacation in the backcountry of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, most would probably say “I don’t even know what or where the Boundary Waters are.”  If you were to then explain to them that the Boundary Waters is a 1.1 million acre canoe area with over 2,000 backcountry campsites in northern Minnesota, bordering Canada and try to ask them again, they would say “Hell no!  Why would I spend my entire vacation outside?”

The answer to that question, from our perspective, is to spend quality time with family. The best way to do that is to remove yourself from the distractions of modern technology, and test yourself both mentally and physically. The reward is seeing the amazing things nature has to offer, that the average American lacks motivation to work toward.

After our trip we had similar exchanges while explaining where we went on vacation.  Surprisingly, most people just assumed that we did not, and would not take Atlas, our 2.5 year-old with us.  The expression on their face was priceless when we explained that not only did we drag the little one along, we canoed and portaged 50 miles across 14 lakes with him in tow. Just because we have a kid, it does not mean we have to change how we spend our vacations: Family. Outdoors. Adventures.

Now, keep in mind that our close, childless friend devised the itinerary for the trip, since the Boundary Waters were his stomping grounds.  Living in the mountain west, our trips usually involve mountains.  The only water we typically have to deal with are the small streams that we hop across on the trail and cold mountain cirques.  We had only been on one prior canoe trip - over 7 years ago.

Day 1: Mudro Lake to Gun Lake

The adventure started with our outfitter (Boundary Water Outfitters based out of Ely, MN) dropping us off at the Mudro Lake entry point.  With Yadéeh on the front seat and child in the space in front of her and Justin in back seat of the canoe, the first ¼ mile of canoeing was a complete shit show:  The entry point was a meandering river that wound through reeds, lily pads, and pine trees and with some portions only 10 feet or so wide.  Neither of us remembered much about how to steer a canoe, and our kid refused to keep his hands and arms safely inside the vehicle at any time.  The only thing we knew was that the stronger person should be in the back to steer.

Our canoe spun out of control the entire time we tried navigating through the winding river, to the great amusement of our friend and his girlfriend 100 feet ahead in the other canoe.  Once the river opened up into Mudro Lake, it seemed that we finally figured out how to steer a canoe again and gave up trying to keep our kid in the canoe and dry.

Portaging, although scenic, quickly became our least favorite part of the trip.  Yadéeh had to manage carrying a pack while encouraging Atlas along the trial or carrying him in her arms down the trail. Meanwhile, Justin resorted to taking two trips: first carrying the canoe, then trail running back to retrieve the remaining pack and the canoe paddles.  Keep in mind, the trails were often rocky, muddy and SWARMING with mosquitos.  Luckily, our kid was fine wearing his mosquito net and they didn’t seem to like him anyhow.  Us, however…let’s just say that after 3 weeks from the end of our trip, we still have several faint mosquito bite marks.

We ate lunch at a beautiful campsite on a peninsula.  During lunch, the partly cloudy sky quickly gave way to a tumultuous thunderstorm.  Fortunately, the storm passed within 15 minutes and we set off across the lake. This is when we had one of our favorite sightings: a beaver swam in front of us in the lake, wacked its tail, and dropped under the water.

As we looked for our next portage entry, another storm rolled in. We huddled under the tarp at a campsite about 50 feet from the next portage. Our poor kid was exhausted at this point and fell asleep in Yadeeh’s arms while waiting out the storm in rain gear under the tarp. There was no way we wanted to wait upwards of 2 hours for his nap to finish, so we loaded up into the canoe, paddled the 50 feet, unloaded and portaged, all while trying to keep Atlas asleep.

After this, the rest of the day went by without a hitch. Our campsite wasn’t our first choice, but we made due as it rained on-and-off for the rest of the evening. As the sun went down and we got ready for bed, the toads came out to play. Although Yadéeh went into the tent early to put Atlas to sleep, he wasn’t having it, so we all went to bed as a family.

Day 2: Gun Lake to Friday Bay

            We woke up to clear skies and choppy water. So, we had to put our newly acquired paddling skills to the test. All-in-all, it went well because we paddled with the waves along the lake to our dreaded longest portage of 1 mile. That doesn’t sound like much, but given the conditions we described before, it seemed like 10 miles. After meandering through Papoose Creek and another portage (Yadéeh carrying our sleeping kid), we eventually popped out on the southern tip of Friday Bay and made camp shortly thereafter on a peninsular cliff. Justin had to set up camp while Yadéeh held the still sleeping kid. We enjoyed the continual breeze through camp, as it kept the mosquitos at bay and we enjoyed a small cocktail as the sun set.

Day 3: Friday Bay to Crooked Lake

A cloudy, misty and cool morning with flat waters started out our third day. However, once we entered Crooked Lake, things drastically changed. Crooked Lake is one of the larger lakes in the area and straddles the US-Canada border. At this point, Atlas was becoming a bit ornery, so Justin took a shift paddling in the front while Yadéeh tried to steer in the back. As we turned the corner into Crooked Lake, the swells began to rise and white caps began to surface and the weather continued to deteriorate. Our kid continued to try to play in the water, despite the misty weather and rocking boat. Ultimately, he fell asleep in Justin’s lap. This posed a challenge, as Yadéeh could not steer to save her life, so we decided to pull ashore and switch places. Luckily, Atlas remained asleep. Before we knew it, we were battling head on white caps in the middle of Crooked Lake, with a sleeping child in Yadeeh’s lap, and no land within a ¼ mile radius. Taking it one swell at a time, we made it through without incident and made camp early due to the inclement weather and the emotional stress on the group. 

The blessing in disguise was having a bit more down time at camp. When Atlas woke up from his nap, we went exploring as a family and found a sweet set of camping pots and pans. Atlas loved helping collect and carry the firewood back to camp.

Day 4: Crooked Lake to Tiger Bay

Yay, sun! The morning was nice and clear with calm waters, a much appreciated change from the previous day. This began our longest day yet, providing plenty of opportunity for our kid to help paddle and drag his hands in the water.

       

First, we crossed Crooked Lake and hugged the Canadian shoreline as we headed west toward Curtain Falls. Yes, we had our passports, but our friends didn’t. It was an intense experience approaching the inlet to Curtain Falls.  As we turned the corner to enter the inlet, we could hear the roaring water, but still could not see what was creating the sound. Then, off on the horizon we could see the mist from the falls. The entry to the portage was only 50 feet or so upstream of the falls, so we had to make sure we didn’t overshoot it. The falls themselves were spectacular, although not that tall. Once back in our boats, we continued paddling toward Tiger Bay.

The portage on Canadian soil was one of the buggiest and steepest yet. But, we survived with only a few hundred more mosquito bites. As we entered Tiger Bay, our friend who was navigating, had a few “perfect” camp sites in mind. Unfortunately for us, they were all already taken. In order to figure that out, we had to circumnavigate an entire island, only to settle on one of the first sites we saw. It turned out to be one of our favorite sites because it had few bugs and we finally got to set up our hammock with a view of the lake. This was also the first site where Justin and Kid went for a swim...brrr…too cold for Yadéeh though. While hanging out at camp, Atlas began to scream like we’ve never heard him scream before. There was a snake in our camp. Atlas usually loves animals and is not afraid to touch new ones, but instinct kicked in, and he knew to wait until we told him it was ok. So, of course, Yadéeh tried to catch it. Bad idea, kind of. The snake (only a garter snake, don’t worry), bit Yadéeh and went on its merry way, only to be back to bask in the morning sun the next day.

Day 5: Tiger Bay to Nina Moose Lake

Oh boy, we thought the freak out from the snake was bad…when it came time to take a group photo, Atlas’ melt down began. We made it 5 non-stop days with little down time, so it was just a matter of time. After we took a picture without Atlas, we tried to put the life jacket on him. You’d think we ask him to cut off his own toe. After calm negotiations did not work, we had to force the jacket on him, and then Yadéeh held him in the canoe kicking and screaming, and tried to sing to calm him down while Justin paddled us away from camp. There were many points throughout the trip where Justin had to do most the paddling while Yadéeh took care of Atlas in some fashion or another. Other than this being the longest day and the morning melt down, it was the most uneventful day. It did, however, have Atlas’ favorite portage. At the end of the portage, there were boards set across the trail, which quickly turned into “train tracks” with a ticket agent while we waited for Justin to finish the portage.

          Upon arriving at camp, we noticed a turtle in a flat area used to set up a tent. As we approached, we saw that the turtle had dug a hole in which it filled newly laid eggs! We left momma turtle alone while we unloaded our gear. This campsite was the buggiest yet. We couldn’t even venture to the bathroom or hang out at the fire pit because of it. We spent our time on the granite slab along the water’s edge, enjoying our last night out.

Day 6: Nina Moose Lake to the Moose River Portage

We weren’t allowed to get on our boat (the canoe) without a “ticket.”  Luckily, Atlas found enough “tickets” for all of us. As it turned out, Atlas’ ticket doubled as a coloring stick! It was slightly burnt and when it became wet, Atlas was able to draw on the canoe seat with it. Yet another way to keep him entertained. While this was one of the shorter days, it felt like an eternity because we were sore from all the paddling and portaging. Most of the day was spent meandering through the narrow Moose River. We joked that it felt like a final exam because of all the precise paddling required navigating the river, including up and over flooded beaver dams. Justin was even able to flawlessly parallel park the canoe by the end of the trip.  We ended the day with burgers at a microbrewery in Ely and lighting sparklers at the outfitters lodge in celebration of the 4^th of July.

All in all, it was a great time. Having a kid along for a trip like this certainly made it several times more challenging. However, introducing a child to outdoor adventure and the many wild things nature has to offer made the experience worthwhile and unforgettable for not only us, but hopefully for our kid as well. If we were to do it again, the only things we might change is that we’d plan in more down time at camp each day and go in August when the mosquitos were less intense.