Backpacking with baby in Yosemite

Tag : baby boots
It had been at least 24 hours since we had seen other humans, andthe trail seemed to be ours alone -- gleaming granite slabs,scrabbly switchbacks, glorious glimpses of the Grand Canyon of theTuolumne River, and jagged Sierra spires under cloudless skies.
But the meditative crunch-crunch-crunch of our boots soon gave wayto men's voices. A trio of bearded 20-somethings approached.
''Whoa, baby!'' gasped the group's gnarly looking leader, pointingto our son, snuggled up in a baby carrier on my chest.
''Lucky dude! He gets a free ride!'' joked another.
''Can you carry me, too?'' wheezed the laggard.
My husband, Stephen, and I stopped to chat with them. It was ourfourth Yosemite trip of the year, and we had become accustomed toquestions, comments and astonished stares from nearly everyone wemet. Few people have seen a toddler in the back country -- letalone a woman carrying a loaded backpack, plus her child strappedto the front.
But, judging from the number of people who ask us how to do it,many people are curious. Here's a primer on ''Backpacking withBaby,'' or BWB as I call it.
GEAR REQUIRED
With or without a baby, backpacking isn't necessarily difficult.But it requires more preparation and gear than camping, whichusually means pitching a tent in a car-friendly campsite, cookings'mores in a fire pit, and doing day hikes. Compared to the rigorsof backpacking, campers enjoy relative luxuries such as outhouses,potable water and picnic tables.
By contrast, backpackers strap everything onto packs, then hikeaway from the trailhead to set up camp in the wilderness. Theyfilter water from streams. They eat trail mix, turkey jerky oreasy-to-prepare food -- dehydrated soup, instant oatmeal and othermeals cooked on lightweight stoves. They sit on logs, write indiaries, play cards, read paperbacks or simply savor the silence,stars and scenery.
My husband introduced me to backpacking eight years ago with a tripto California's Lost Coast, the rugged, remote stretch of mountainsand beaches about 250 miles northwest of San Francisco. We woke atdawn and had a remote beach to ourselves -- no other people insight, only sea lion pups and shorebirds. We vowed to gobackpacking at least once a month (except in the winter).
We took a hiatus after the birth of our son, Levi, in 2005. Butwhen the Sierra snow started melting in early 2006, Levi was 10months old, and we reached for our packs.
Our first BWB trip was a snowbound overnight excursion near aglacier in the eastern Sierra, where Levi learned to crawl on thesoft floor of our tent. Levi -- perfect child in every way, exceptfor abysmal sleeping habits -- slept through the night for thefirst time. As any desperate, bleary-eyed new parent would have, wedecided to resume our backpacking schedule -- if only to sleepsoundly once a month!
In the following year, we honed BWB to a science. In the garage isa checklist of items not to leave behind (though we often forget tolook at it). We have tent set-up and teardown routines, andfavorite foods for dinner, lunch and breakfast.
Levi, now 2, jumps for joy when he sees us stuffing our clothes andsleeping bags into our packs. He shouts phrases like ''Levi, mommy,daddy -- hiking to snow on Mount Lassen!'' He loves eating gorp (ahomemade trail mix loaded with M&Ms), taking naps in his backpack,playing hide and seek behind redwoods, and sleeping mushed up nextto his parents in a two-person tent.
GO SLOW
We know BWB is not for everyone -- it'd be tougher with two or morekids, or in parts of the world not blessed with California'sreliably sunny summer. But adventuresome parents can start with thefollowing 10 tips:
• 1. Downgrade expectations : You can't travel fast or far while carrying a heavy pack and atoddler. Six miles a day with elevation gain is a ''beat-out.''Three miles is manageable if you're in shape.
The goal is to experience the wilderness with your family -- nottrain for an Everest ascent. Consider gentle trails; instead ofhiking to the top of Yosemite's Half Dome, try the lower, flatterHetch Hetchy Reservoir. (You'll end up avoiding the crowds, too.)
• 2. Be prepared: Besides maps, flashlights and other emergency gear, take extrawarm baby clothes. Take Baby Tylenol or other medicine in case ofscrapes, stings and bruises. Have a water pump and travel nearstreams. (Breast-feeding mothers take note: You'll drink more waterthan you've ever thought possible.) Take extra food. Tell rangersyour planned trail, number of people in party, entrance and exitdates.
• 3. Bring sherpas : We've gone as a nuclear family but are happy to offload food andgear to accompanying friends and relatives -- especially those withstrong backs.
• 4. Gear up : I carry my fits-like-a-glove North Face pack, and I strap Levi tomy chest with the Ergo baby carrier. (It fits on the front or backand is far more comfortable, lightweight and packable than anythingelse I've tried, particularly external-frame baby carriers.)Trekking poles lend stability on uneven terrain.
• 5. Take cloth diapers: Brands such as Wonderoos and FuzziBunz are absorbent, wicking andfast-drying -- no different from your fleece jacket. If the diaperis merely wet, hang it on your backpack or tent to dry quickly inthe sun, which kills odors.
Seal soiled diapers in plastic bags and carry them out.
Take care not to contaminate water sources. National Park Servicerules prohibit the disposal of human waste within 100 feet of awater source or camp site, or within sight of a trail. The ParkService has also adopted principles from the Leave No Trace Centerfor Outdoor Ethics -- http://lnt.org -- which recommend that human waste be buried 6 to 8 inches deepand that washing (whether it's baby or dishes or anything else) bedone with water carried 200 feet away from streams or lakes, usingsmall amounts of biodegradable soap.
Some trails require hikers to haul out all human waste. A portablecontainer called a Wagbag is one way to do it; depending on whereyou go with baby, you might be hauling it for two.
• 6. Get dirty : Campsites are full of sap, mud and bugs -- even truly vile stufflike bear scat and maggots. Everyone gets filthy. Wipe down thebaby with a damp bandana and look forward to a long bath uponreturn.
• 7. Mind the crumbs : Bears and other critters will search out food, even a crumb,noodle, raisin or other baby reject. Take care to reduce spills,and pack everything (even toothpaste) in bear-proof containers.
• 8. Pack small treasures : A favorite snack, book or toy goes a long way to short-circuitinga meltdown. We bring Goodnight Moon , a harmonica and Ginger, the well-traveled stuffed dog, tomaintain some semblance of routine.
• 9. Start young : My husband started backpacking as a toddler with his parents.(Lacking our high-tech cloth diapers, they rented mules to hauldisposables in and out of Wyoming's Wind Rivers.) Wilderness tripsare great family bonding experiences.
• 10. Enjoy the difficulties : I love challenging myself physically on backpacking trips. Thesense of accomplishment and power is exhilarating. Backpacking witha baby is even more of a rush. I feel like an Amazon woman when I'mcarrying a 30-pound backpack and my 28-pound toddler -- a superherowho can safely deliver my child into or out of any situation, nomatter the altitude or distance.
Backpacking has made me a better mother and person -- and I'd loveto see more parents on the trail!