Kid Stoke!

I was one of those guys. I said I'd never get married until I was about 30.

And for many years after that, I said ... "Kids? No way."

But what happens to some guys, like me is you meet the girl.

So I reconsidered the possibility.  The big fear for me, was ... could I still be an adventurer after I become dad?

You've got to be creative to get through the phases.  Pregnancy was really no problem (for me anyway). Zelda came with me all winter to the cabin, slept late and read while I skied my brains out.

Then, fortuitously Neve was born on May 21 - exactly 6 months before opening day at Gore, and she was eligible at six months for the Gore daycare. Again I got my ski days in, and now Zelda was with me on the hill. After two years of day care we started to mix in lessons with BJ at Gore.  I was a little anxious ... would Neve like it? SHE WAS INTO it. Woohoo!

Now it's hiking. Can we get her into it?  

Zelda is convinced, that at age 4, we can get her out to one of her favorite spots - The Blue Ledge in the Hudson Gorge. It 2.3 miles in each direction, on a rocky and muddy trail. While I don't mind carrying a 50lb pack, Neve's not necessarily into RIDING that far. Hmmm....

We're trying to work up to it this week. Yesterday, we walked to the Tailings at Garnet Hill - maybe a mile on what is essentially a road.

Then this morning, we went to Elizabeth Point on 13th Lake. Part road, part rocky trail, maybe a mile and a half.

This afternoon we decided to try the Balm of Gilead cliffs. It' probably only a 2.5 mile round trip, but there's some vert there.

We started with the proper motivation:



Things started out ok...



Then she really got INTO it....



The arrival at the top was really triumphant....



The obligatory B-of-G shot...



One great quote... "Daddy when your shoes are muddy, it means you're having fun!"

We'd promised 1 EXTRA MARSHMELLOW over the normal ration of two, if she made it to the top. We we're 100 percent prepared to carry her down, as it was late and the descent seemed more dangerous.  She insisted on going for it, and actually starting HUCKING these logs and boulders that were in her path.  A fearless Darksider in the making.  

Awesome day.

If you've got a kid tale, post it here.

Nice day, she is very cute..

Now my friend reality, enjoy that age. Before you know it she will tell you, you're stupid, I hate you and by the way can I have 20 dollars, all my friends and I are going out...

What a great topic.  Our first trip to Gore involved a 9 month old, a 2 1/2 year old and a 5 year old, so I got my name the hard way.  That was almost 7 years ago and we have been coming ever since.  There are some amazing 1-2 mile hikes in the Gore region where the kids can have the sense of reaching a "summit" and the adults can get some pretty legitimate vistas.  Two of the very best are Sawyer Mt., off of Rt. 28 on the other side of Indian Lake, and Watch Hill, which over looks Indian Lake.  We have worked our way up and our longest hike to date is Blue Mountain.  Next summer we hope to do an overnight from the Upper Works.  I got some good advice early on to never push them on a hike.  We have erred on the side of caution and stayed within distances that we knew they could comfortably complete.  When you are hiking with three kids and two adults, carrying them out is not realistic.  I also learned the hard way that it is quite necessary to have a legitimate first aid kit.  Years ago, about 1 mile in, one of our kids fell and got pretty scraped up.  Some gauze and band aids would have gone a long way and we were totally unprepared.  If someone gets really hurt, it is important to realize that any assistance could be over an hour away, and to be prepared with some of the basics.  Even if you can quickly get out, cell service in these areas is not reliable, so you might be driving to seek help.  Whether skiing on Sunway with a toddler on a leash, having a 10 year old take me into the trees, hiking to a special spot, or just opening the back door and saying, "go explore", the past 7 years are a blur of treasured memories with my kids.

Goreskimom wrote

(... a bunch of valuable info...)

Some incredibly good advice here.

It never even occurred to me that by having one, we've got more flexibility because we can carry Neve if she gets tired.

We've done Sawyer before Neve and had totally forgotten about it.

Watch Hill I will try to get the beta on. Where is the trailhead? Sounds great.

Goreskimom wrote

...having a ten year old take me into the trees...

:)

As for you Jason Bubbleburster... I'll cross that bridge when I come to it!

The trailhead to Watch Hill is on Rt. 30, south of the town of Indian Lake.  Watch Hill is on the East side of 30.  When you are at the top of Watch Hill, you have a great view of Snowy Mt. to the West, so that should help you zero in on it.  It is not hard to find.  

Goreskimom wrote

...Watch Hill...

Goreskimom ... thank you so much for this tip! We hiked it this morning and it was wonderful.  

Perfect length and challenge for a four-year old, and a great rewarding view at the top!



Harv took a bunch of pics, I think he's going to post on the blog later.

Thank you again!

Goodnow Mtn is another good choice. We did it Memorial Day weekend with our 4 yr old daughter. There is a tower at the top that is open to the public. There are some great views of the High Peaks. It is on 28N just past Newcomb as you head towards Long Lake. We did not climb the tower or linger at the top because of the black flies.

A quick and easy hike with good views is Severance Hill on Rt 9, north of the Town of Scroon Lake.

So glad you enjoyed Watch Hill.  I have hiked Goodnow too.  I should mention that Blue Mountain also has a fire tower just like Goodnow.  A fire tower can be a HUGE incentive for a young hiker to keep going.  Kids love them!

Goreskimom wrote

So glad you enjoyed Watch Hill.  I have hiked Goodnow too.  I should mention that Blue Mountain also has a fire tower just like Goodnow.  A fire tower can be a HUGE incentive for a young hiker to keep going.  Kids love them!

Watch Hill was awesome. I can't imagine a better hike for getting a four year-old into hiking.  



This is exactly how I'd hoped this forum would function. Like minded people sharing beta. I'm really hoping this thread (and some others) will become a resource.

Jeff and I are going to get together and create a link to all the kid-friendly stuff on the blog, so it's easier to find.

Also ... on today's Watch Hill hike we ran into a couple of hiker ladies coming down from the top. They chatted with us about the view up top, and gave us a brochure from the Speculator Chamber of Commerce that included "Family Walks."  I'll post the list after I get a chance to look through it.

We went for Sawyer Mountain today vs Goodnow as it looked like the sunny weather would be approaching from the west.

Another beauty GSM.  Zelda and I had been there before, but had forgotten about it.

The view has really grown in since we were there last. There was no easy way to see Blue Mtn and other stuff to the north...



Still a great kid hike.