Why I Will Choose Hiking Every Time

When I first blogged about our backpacking trip, the Half Dome hike was by far the most emotionally strenuous and, therefore, received the bulk of the attention in the adventure recap.  The assent to and descent from Half Dome was terrifying for Jenna and I, nerve-wracking for Heather, and exhilarating for my husband, but the Half Dome experience covered only about two hours of our four-day backpacking experience.   Therefore, I want to document why I will choose a backpacking and/or hiking experience for my family over other activities every time (pick up your jaw honey, I really mean it).

1.  The beauty found on a hiking trail is exceptional as is the silence of worldly noises.  I love sharing with my children the sound the wind makes as it approaches through the trees, or the sound of river water spilling over the rocks as it makes it's way toward the valley.  We saw many deer, a bear, a rattle snake, squirrels jumping from tree to tree, marmots, and even a family of Grouse, and all had their own characteristics in the wild that were really fun to observe (the mosquitos can, unfortunately, be found anywhere, and I could have done without those, but the wild does have its negatives).

2.  The energy and effort it takes to hike, backpack and camp builds character - both children and adults have to dig deep to find determination, perseverance, patience and courage in the midst of this kind of challenge.  Teamwork is imperative and compassion is developed as we watch and help each other push through individual difficulties.  Perhaps the greatest lesson we learned on this last trip is that there is no quitting in the middle; enduring to the end was the only option, and we each tried our best to endure well.

3.  My children, without video games, iPods, computers, television or manufactured toys, found in each other a very fun companion.  I don't know if they understood the appreciation they seemed to gain for one another, but I saw it during the car ride home and the next day when I looked for them and found them together in Jenna's room playing together (pic above).  When I asked if they wanted to find a friend to play with that day, they both kind of shrugged their shoulders and kept playing with each other.

4.  Memories of rugged, difficult backpacking and camping trips have stayed with my husband and I all our lives.  For some reason, the difficult experiences we endured while backpacking and/or camping in our youth were some of our most memorable most likely because it was during those outings that we found out what we were made of.  We learned that we could accomplish difficult things, and we knew that the effort was worth the feeling of accomplishment we received at the end.   We have a strong desire to have our children experience the same feelings of accomplishment that we did.

There is value in all family vacations no matter the mode of transport or the venue, and I love any kind of family vacation.  I make jokes about staying at the spa next time, but I am a spa girl and would adore a hotel get-away with my family (a cruise sounds simply divine).  However, because I had the experience of hiking/camping in my youth, I also want my children to have the same experiences.  I see the value in these adventures, and I will continue to support the planning of trips like these during our summer breaks. I can always squeeze my spa-like get-aways in some other way, right? (Ha, ha, ha)