[13223]

Over the past few years I've gotten back into backpacking and have been able to take my sons on a number of trips with me. This year I finally managed to get the whole family out on a backpacking trip and it was an awesome experience. It took a fair amount of planning & time to put everything together, but it was totally worth the effort. This was the first overnight hiking trip for my daughter and she did fantastic. I thought I'd a share a short photo trip report simply because I enjoyed it so much. Here goes:

We spent the night at the trailhead so we could get an early start on the morning of our hike in. Tailgate breakfast...

My sons leading the way up the trail.

After a bit of working through the typical discomforts of a backpack, surviving 1 bee sting, and the switchbacks we made it up the steepest part of the hike. My daughter is very proud of herself for pushing through it.

Made it to the lake about lunch time. Got hammocks and tent setup and it was time to kick off the shoes and relax.

Filtering water for camp at the outlet stream.

Our chocolate lab made himself right at home.

My wife and daughter's tent. I set up my hammock right next to my daughter's side so we could talk at bedtime.

My daughter enjoyed cooking bacon & eggs for us all.

My wife and oldest sit together around the morning campfire.

My sons helped gather and cut fire wood.

Kids brought along a deck of cards. Great idea!

A few shots of the lake scenery.

The wind started up a few hours after we arrived and continued to blow until the morning we hiked out. This, combined with heavy brush around the lake, made fly fishing very difficult. I had our Curtis Raft, but with the wind it would have been frustrating at best. So we explored around the lake, played cards, and relaxed.

What's a family camping trip without S'mores! Managed to pack in the graham crackers without breaking them all up.

mmmm..... sticky sweet goodness.

Log crossing on the way out. Everyone did great!

Tried to capture the vibrant flowers.

We took our time to enjoy the views coming out. It was all downhill on the way out, which made it much easier to stop and enjoy the views.

Hooray! We made it back to the truck!!!!

A "must have" after hike ice cream stop on the way home!

 

[Mumbles]

Awesome trip report. We too are hammock and tent backpackers. My youngest still prefers the tent over the hammock. Thanks for sharing.

 

[Alex MacDonald]

Well done, TD! next trip, think about going up the Icicle to the confluence of French and Icicle creeks. Lots of places to camp there, and Leavenworth is right on the way out, ice cream and burgers included!

 

[13223]

I switched to the hammock last year & my sons quickly followed. I sleep way better in the hammock than on the ground. They do take some getting used to. We have found that we have found a system that works and we manage to get everything set just right. As my oldest remarked as we retired to our beds, "after the first 2 mins of wiggling around and getting everything situated, it's more comfortable than my bed at home."

Thank you for the suggestion Alex. I'm adding that to our list!

 

[Mumbles]

I've logged over 450 nights in my hammock. Way better than ground dwelling.

 

[Dipnet]

What an awesome family outing! Good on ya for getting the kids out into the backcountry!

 

[Sagebrush]

Great photos, and what a great activity for the whole family to participate in. My daughter has been wanting to do this with my son and I ( wife says she wants no part ) for the last couple of years. but what holds me back is the equipment cost for something I might do 1-2 weekends a year.

 

[Freestone]

Fantastic trip report! Congrats on a successful family outing. I am sure the memory of this one (and future trips) will bring them joy throughout their lives!

My daughter has been wanting to do this with my son and I ( wife says she wants no part ) for the last couple of years. but what holds me back is the equipment cost for something I might do 1-2 weekends a year.

REI rents all the gear you will need - and for reasonable rates. Contact your local store. It is a great way to see if your family will like it enough to invest in your own gear. If so, you can slowly buy some of your own gear (that you buy on sale or CL), while you rent the rest.

 

[Sagebrush]

REI rents all the gear you will need - and for reasonable rates. Contact your local store. It is a great way to see if your family will like it enough to invest in your own gear. If so, you can slowly buy some of your own gear (that you buy on sale or CL), while you rent the rest.

I didnt know that, thanks for the tip

 

[Ron McNeal]

Very cool! Thanks for the great report & pics.