If you love hiking and are a parent of a young child or children, you can’t wait until they are old enough to hit the trails with you. You’re at home in the outdoors and you hope to instill in your child that same attachment to hiking.
But, there are a few things holding you back. Before you take them into the woods or to the tops of mountains, you’re concerned for the little ones’ safety. You’re also unsure what food to bring, what to pack for a day hike and how long a hike to take. You knew how to solve all those problems when you hiked alone, before having kids, but now you and the spouse are on foreign ground when it comes to hiking with them.
There are a few ways to address those concerns. One is obvious, the old trial and error method. Take the kids for a hike and see what happens. But, trial and error usually means lots of errors and major trials. A better way is to find someone with experience hiking with young children, then, ask them how they do it.
The first person I contacted was Lee Kantar, the state of Maine’s deer and moose biologist. He and his wife, Danielle D’Auria, have been taking their daughter, Ella, age 21 months, since she was an infant. She rides on Danielle’s back in a kid carrier while Lee leads hikes into Sunkhaze Meadows, summer and winter. I asked him about preparing for a hike with his daughter.
Speaking as a parent, he said, “I don’t know if I would call it hiking. The point is being outdoors is about introducing Ella to the natural world. This is the beginning of getting her hooked on the outdoors. She sees things that we don’t and is soaking up a lot of things that we probably don’t even realize. This is definitely about the journey and not the destination.”
In planning for a hike, “now more than ever you must expect constant changes in plans,” he said. “So, there is less worry about the end goal, getting out and going takes more time and forethought. Contingency plans are important. But, it’s about Ella having a positive experience, enjoying herself and getting excited about turtles, trees, deer and birds.”
After talking with Lee I realized that when it comes to hiking with his daughter, he plans his hike around her needs, putting her outing first. I wondered if that same philosophy applied to children a little older. I gave Cynthia Ocel, education coordinator for Acadia National Park, a call to see if that was true. Her response was clear and reflected her years of experience leading children between the ages of 3 and 18 on hikes in the park.
“It’s important that families with children plan ahead before they head down the path,” she said. “They should know how long and difficult a trail is to decide if it’s a good choice for their group. Families should start out with shorter hikes and build up to longer, more challenging excursions.”
I wanted to see her in action, so last Saturday on National Trails Day I joined her and several families with kids on her ranger-led hike to the top of South Bubble. The park offers a number of free, ranger-guided hikes between May and October. Saturday’s hike was part of a season-long contest for families with kids called Acadia Quest. By completing a set of required hikes, families are entered in a drawing for prizes at the end of the season.
While on the hike, Cynthia engaged the children and their parents in educational games. It was pretty remarkable seeing all the little faces intent on her presentations at the various stops. I don’t think the kids knew that they were learning stuff about their surroundings. When we reached the top of South Bubble, the group all headed for Bubble Rock. I hung back and met a family that was stopped for lunch near the rock and asked them about climbing mountains with the kids.
Brian and Bridget Moynihan were the young couple’s names and their kids, Liam, 6, and his sister Naomi, 8, were amusing themselves by climbing and descending the same ledge repeatedly in some sort of contest, I figured. I asked Brian what is the most important thing to pack when hiking with their two kids.
He hesitated, only a little, then, he replied, “Water and lots of food and snacks.” Bridget piped in with, “Making sure they have the right clothing.” I asked them about how they get Liam and Naomi excited about walking to the top of a mountain.
Brian answered, “It’s important for these two to have a goal, like reaching the top of the mountain. Like this one, where they could see the summit and Bubble Rock from the road. These two love to climb.”
I asked Liam what was the best part of his hike that day. Without a second’s delay, he said, “When Naomi and me tried to push Bubble Rock.” I asked him if it fell off. “No,” was the response, “but it wiggled.” We all shared a laugh over that.
So, there you have it. If you’re taking a hike with young ones, plan ahead. Expect there to be a change in plans. The kids come first. Keep them hydrated, fed, clothed and interested. One way to get them out is by participating in a ranger- guided hike, where available. Then, who knows, after a few years, maybe they’ll be leading you and the spouse to their own favorite spots outdoors.