Backpacking with a 7 month old
It has been 7 months since we brought our little girl into the world. Seven beautiful months. Months where sometimes the idea of backpacking again has seemed impossible… months where we have embraced our new normal… months where we have wondered how much work and effort do we invest into a former way of life…how much do we push our little one to enjoy what we enjoy…
It’s all a wonder isn’t it? A wonder that we would be gifted such a sweet baby girl to treasure on this earth… a wonder as she grows and her personality develops… a wonder what she will love… a wonder what will be hard.
My husband, Rich, and I sat down for dinner. “I have two days off in a row next week (a rare occurrence these days), do you want to take Piper backpacking or camping?” he said.
“YES! How about we pick something kind of chill. We are sleep deprived, out of shape, and backpacking with her is all so new. Maybe car camping… or a really easy 3 mile loop with no elevation…” We both set to researching… do we go to the coast? the mountains? central OR? the river? How far do we want to drive?
…and we were off! Set to drive 4 hours in the morning, backpack 7 miles and 2300 ft elevation in that day, camp at a beautiful secluded alpine lake, backpack out the distance we came, drive home 4hours late evening, and resume normal life.
And thus began our adventure.
Perhaps what draws me to backpacking is the way each trip shapes me, teaches me, and restores me. To venture into the unknown and work towards a common goal with my husband.
To rid myself of all the distractions I face in day to day life… to be fully mindful in each step I take… my thoughts consumed by nothing more than where each foot is placed and stand in awe of our Father’s endless creativity displayed in nature.
The endless metaphors a trip teaches me. My husband selflessly and graciously taking my backpack through difficult terrain and elevation so that all my physical and emotional effort could be focused on our daughter.
Our love and respect for each other growing deeper as we push ourselves physically to go somewhere beautiful. There’s no need for words in these moments… it’s the look we share as we reach the top of a climb. The way he offers me his hand as I step down from a rock.
The hilarious memories of a lifetime when we reach our destination only to realize that through both our faults, we’ve forgotten the tent poles. It is windy and temps will reach 37 that night. Oh…my hilariously non-sensical offering to prop our tent up using backpacks… and his logical and methodical problem solving process to create FORT NO NOGGIN. A phrase we adopted from our dear nieces and nephews… and since we seemed to have lost our noggins on this trip, Fort No Noggin seemed to be the perfect name for our secret destination.
Watching my daughter laugh, smile, and soak in every second of our trip. Everything seemed natural and so primal. She fell asleep when she got tired as I carried her… no rocking, shushing, or forcing her to sleep… she woke when she felt ready and played with the finest toys ever created - dirt, sticks, and leaves…
And oh me… even that terrible night sleep has somehow found its way into a fondness in my heart. Ha! With each hour I kept checking my watch hoping for daylight. My daughter slept soundly and peacefully next to me… occasionally waking to warm her nose and nurse. But next time… I will jot down what I learned from this trip and change my approach to our sleep situation. Perhaps it is time we invested in better sleeping pads… or maybe a down blanket that offers warmth despite an unzipped sleeping bag. Who knows. We will keep trying and learning.
As the sun rose on Fort No Noggin… Rich offered to take Piper on a father/daughter hike… and let me get another hour of “unshared” sleep. Just what we all needed! Shiloh of course stayed at Fort No Noggin and wouldn’t leave my side until Rich returned. That loyal pup!
We made our way back out. One foot in front of the other. Rich carrying both our packs… numbing his body to the painful double straps… cracking some jokes… and stopping for an ice bath.
Shiloh packed out all our dirty diapers.
After an extremely physically challenging hike, we glimpsed the parking lot… our old faithful truck waited there. Ready to head home.
What mercies we experienced… Piper and Shiloh may have tied for first place in who enjoyed the trip more! Our daughter stayed safe and warm… didn’t sunburn…
We grew closer as a family.
and we did it.
The wonder… the awe… the overwhelm… the physical pain… the beauty… the lessons…the challenge… the exhaustion… the joy… the restoration. Time seems to stand still when you’re out in the wilderness. Our own personal Narnia. It is as if we’ve been away for weeks. Only to step back into reality after 1 night.
Oh the places you’ll go little one.
