Seasons of Hiking

WRITTEN BY ALI SCHWEITZER

There are seasons when hiking with kids. Seasons that made my husband and me question hiking with our children at all. You see, we loved hiking and did it often. It was one of our favorite things to do together. We wanted to pass this love on to our kids and thought it would come more naturally than it did.

Hiking with children has its own challenges, including the kids themselves, who are unpredictable. One day they love hiking, and the next they complain the entire way up the trail as you carry them and all their gear (snacks, snacks and more snacks). Having our kids four years apart also posed a challenge. When our oldest was just starting to get into his hiking groove, our little girl came along and changed our whole routine. Overall, we still love to hike and I feel like we’ve learned a thing or two over the past eight years hiking with kids. Here are some of our favorite tips and tricks for whatever hiking season you are in.

First and foremost, take care of yourself…nothing hinders hiking season like an aching back or tight neck. Carrying kids in those hiking packs isn’t always easy and our bodies take the toll. My husband and I would trade the packs. I’d hike the way up with the toddler in tow and then he’d hike the way down. It saved both of us from wanting to toss the carrier and wait until they were old enough to hike on their own. It also helped that both of us, as chiropractors, knew a few things about proper posture and could always adjust each other after the hike. If you feel like you just have too much pain when carrying a child in a pack, please seek out the care of a chiropractor or other health care provider. It’s amazing what an adjustment and a quick little refresher on some exercises can do.

Second, get your kids out of those packs and let them explore. I’d often lay my infants on a blanket and let each of them roll around and play in the dirt. The more we took them out of the carriers, the more independent they became. When it came time to ditch the pack for good (which, for me, was when my kiddos turned 3) they were excited to explore.

Third, when it officially came time for them to hike on their own, we knew exactly what our kids loved, and which hikes were going to be as fun and stress free as possible. Luckily, both our kids are water babies and they enjoyed splashing in streams and water along the way. Hikes like Middle Cottonwood, Grotto Falls and Fairy Lake became our go-to spots. These are relatively easy hikes that have plenty of water along the way to stop and splash in. Our kids (our son especially) loves treasures, so one way we got our kids to start hiking on their own was to plant little treasures along the way. We’d often bring trinkets or pennies and place them along the trail for our kids to find, or promise them buried treasure if they made it to the top. The anticipation of making it to the end and finding something was so exciting and fun because half the time our son would find a unique rock or something different than what we actually planted for him.

Fourth, bring a friend or two. Rarely will you ever see me hiking with just my kids. The fouryear age gap is apparent and when my oldest is ready to get out and hike, he usually has a mission, which doesn’t quite resonate with his little sister. If the kids and I want to get out and daddy can’t come along (we divide and conquer when it’s a family affair) there is usually another mom with me with similar-aged kids, so one can be with the older kids and the other with the littles. Of course, there are always rules—one of which is, “If you can’t see mom, then you better hike back to where you can.”

Another great rule: “If you want to keep it, you pack it out.” With an 8- and 4-year-old, I never know what kind of sticks, rocks and flowers I’ll end up with and I’m not going to be the one carrying all the extra stuff. So, while I am now officially the water and snack carrier, my kids each have their own small packs for all the extra treasures they find along the way.

Whatever season of hiking you are in right now, hold on – it gets easier, and if hiking is something you love, your kids will too.

Dr. Ali is the owner and chiropractor at Active Family Chiropractic & Wellness. You’ll often see her and her family out on the trails, well adjusted and having fun.

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