Mossville Road to Detweiller Park: a Saturday Training Hike

We've decided on a fall trip, and we're going to need to do a longer Day 1 than Boo has ever done before, or that I've done in 1 day since wreaking my back. So, more training. We've added an evening walk with packs once a week, and longer weekend walks. August 29, we walked 4.6 miles along the Illinois River Bluff Trail. We left a car at the end and walked it one way.

The kid's exhausted from school starting (probably growing...), and was a little whiny. She needed lots of snacks, reminders to drink, and distraction. She spent a lot of time fleshing out her gift wish list to us, and it's very interesting that it's changed from "baby dolls and cats" to "camera, bigger water bladder, compass". Like she's getting older.

She still likes to collect things, poke scat, and do the stop/run pace that drives adults nuts.

 

The trail goes along the hill between the Illinois River valley and the prairie above. So it crosses all the ridges formed by water going from the prairie to the river. We hit 10 ridge tops (we started at the top of 1, and another didn't go very far down before heading back up). So very roughly 1600 feet up and 1800 feet down.

One of the exciting landmarks on this hike is Going Under the Freeway. The trail passes under Rt 6 through a kind of creepy drainage tunnel (it's obviously designed for foot traffic, but ... it's a loooong dark tunnel).




The trail past there is newer, but still really obvious and well signed. No benches, so we ate lunch on a log. The gravel is still loose enough we all slipped and fell once, but no blood. Between Mossville Rd and 6, the trail kinds of goes almost straight up and down the hills, but from 6 to Detweiller there are switchbacks!

There is a unisex, single seater restroom at Green Valley Camp. New, clean, flushes and running water, diaper station. The rest of Green Valley Camp is a deserted summer camp, and it's creepy as hell. After that, it's  one more ridge to Detweiller, cross one road, and down the hill to the second car.




 Though Boo was complaining about every hill, she did say her pack was very light (it was).

How much training do you do with your kid(s)? For yourself?

A Winter Hike

January 14, 2012, Lee left at 5am to go to Denver. After a thrilling morning of laundry, a healthy lunch, and some not-very-quiet quiet time, I suggested a hike at our favorite park. “Yeah!”

Ee just had our first snow of the season. For reasons I am too embarrassed to discuss, she has no winter boots.

It’s mid 20s and sunny, slightly breezy. My winter short hike gear is my rain pants over my jeans. Her brand new rain pants are perhaps 6 inches too long. Heck, we can roll them up. Wool sweater, wool hat, wool mittens (all knit with love by her mom). We discuss our hike refreshments (Z-bars and water), and I remember that I bought a Platypus bottle and drinking tube for her. Fill that up and add it to her pack. I fill my Camelbac Mule, and we’re off.

Arrive at the trailhead, zip her up, help with mittens, and why are you wearing your sun hat? Put your warm hat on. She doesn’t want to wear two hats, please would I carry ducky hat? Fine, either she’ll get cold, and I can tell her that’s why I wanted her to wear her warm hat, or she won’t and she’ll be fine.

There’s enough traffic that the trail is already nicely tramped down. This reassures me as she goes stomping through snow over her ankles in sneakers.

She loves snow. She tries to make snowballs (not sticky enough). She identifies footprints (“people, people, people, deer or turkey, people, me!”). She asks why the snow sparkles, and then dances up the trail stomping on every sparkle she sees. Going up the switchbacks, she gets so involved looking at squirrel tracks that she follows them a few steps off the trail into the deeper snow.



I’m glad I put her in rain pants. She’d be exhausted already in snow pants. But she falls down every other step, both from slipping and because she thinks it’s really funny. Near the top of the hill, she complains that her foot itches. “Nothing we can do. Keep walking.” I’m so nurturing. At the section along the ridge where she usually runs, she starts whimpering because of her itchy feet. I have her sit on a bare spot and take her shoe and sock off. She’s got a tiny cut on the back of her heel. I pull one of the favored colored bandages out of my pack. The other heel is worse. Cause of damage is likely her jagged, razor-sharp toenails. I make a mental note to bring nail nippers on overnights with her. Blue bandages applied, she happily jumps along the ridgeline. “Side to side, side to side!” she zigzags in front of me.

At the listening point bench on top of the hill, we stop for a snack. She nibbled a Z-bar and has 2 raisins. I ask if she’s thirsty, and she manages to drink from her tube by herself. We need to tweak its clip point, but not in the snow. She admits to being cold and doesn’t complain about the warm hat now.



Down hill is slicker. She falls almost every step, but laughs every time, too. She pretends I’ve never been here, and tells me where we’re going, what’s going to happen, etc.

And then, her feet get cold. I feel horrible, because I haven’t even brought dry socks. I put her up on shoulders and stick her feet in my armpits. She sings loudly about jelly beans. An hour after getting out of the car, 5 minutes after she gave up on her feet, we arrive at the nature center.

I make her take her hat, mittens, and coat off. I take her shoes and socks off and realize that there’s a ring of ice around her ankles in the rolled cuffs of her rain pants. She gets a cookie and hot chocolate and settles on the floor of the store, where she is introduced to all patrons as “our youngest volunteer”, draws a picture, schmoozes enough food for a meal, and generally has a fabulous time.

What do you like to do on your winter outings?

Owl Pellet

Boo and I were trying for the end of the trail. We’d had a hot lunch at an overlook, and thrown things over three bridges when I noticed what looked like a funny colored mushroom.

Then I looked a little closer.




 “Hey Boo, come back here!”

 “What’s that?”

“An owl pellet!”

We discussed what that meant. We poked it apart and looked at the tiny bones. We looked around for more pellets.



It was pretty cool.

 What’s the neatest thing you’ve found hiking?

Keeping Warm

I have taken Boo hiking in the snow in sneakers and jeans. And I’ve carried her back inside and picked ice off her socks, too. I don’t recommend it. 

Keep an eye on your little kid. They’re not as good at recognizing when they’re cold if they’re having fun. I’ve had good luck with “Are your toes (fingers, ears) a little cold or a lot cold?” Lips will turn purplish, hands will be tucked next to legs, noses and ears will be cold to the touch. 

Obviously, dress appropriately. Boots, snowpants, hat, mittens, coat as warm as you are wearing. Remember that their shoes and legs are shorter than yours. When tennis shoes or low boots are fine for an adult, your kid may need boots and snowpants. 

Did you mother tell you “If your feet are cold put a hat on”? Do it. A nice wool hat will work wonders for winter hiking ability. It can be really hard to keep kids in a hat, so make sure it’s one that fits and suits your kid’s sense of style. We’ve had the best luck with bright yellow with eyes and a ducky beak. (As with everything, bright colors make it easier to keep track of when it’s flung into the woods.) If the hat is refused, occasionally offer it again, reminding them that it will keep them warm. 

Kids run with their hands out, they touch snow, they fall and catch themselves in icy puddles. Put mittens on at the beginning of any hike where you will eventually put your hands in your pockets. 

Yesterday, we were out riding bikes. It was sunny and 50-55F. And windy. The kids’ fingers were frozen. A good windbreaker or raincoat can do wonders in windy conditions. 

Sometimes she’ll get whiny about the cold more because she’s bored or tired or hungry. Then those issues need to be addressed or whining about cold will continue no matter how warm she is. 

When she’s too cold (our poor planning), a shoulder ride or piggy-back shares some adult body heat. If that’s not enough, I have her cling to my front and wrap her into my coat. It’s resulted in mud in odd places of my wardrobe, but it’s a good way to share warmth and get her out of the wind. 

Carry spare socks and mittens. Dry shoes and a change of clothes in the car is never a bad idea, either. Your kid needs to be allowed to get wet, snowy, muddy. It’ll be easier on you if you know they won’t freeze on the way home and you can take them out in public if necessary. 

What does Boo think is good to keep warm? “Mittens, coat, jacket, boots. Pockets on your pants. Or a poncho. “

How do you keep your kids warm?

Keeping Cool

Kids don’t sweat the way adults do. This makes it easier for them to overheat. They also can’t tell that their body feeling kinda sick means “over heating” or “dehydrating”. Boo will sometimes tell us she’s not feeling good, but more often will not mention it if there’s anything more interesting going on. Pay close attention.

Boo drinks more with a water bladder. It’s right there, she doesn’t need to ask for help or stop. When it’s hot, she’ll complain that her water is too warm, and stop drinking. It’s also difficult for her to know when her water is gone. 

If we’re using bottles, we need to remember to offer her water more often than we drink. Oddly enough, a 4-year-old can’t drink and still walk. 

When she gets hot, I’ll soak her (light colored) hiking hankie in water and tie it to her head. Then I tell her she looks like a pirate. If I’ve missed a critical point in the cooling schedule (if she’s really whiny), I’ll take her backpack for a while. She’s almost always sweaty on her back. 

The heat will suck her energy out a lot faster than it will yours. Stop more often, slow down (even more), plan your hikes in the shade or earlier in the day. Water them down. A little splashy water fight can do wonders.

How do you keep your kid (and yourself) cool in the heat?

Hot hike

Turkey Feather, a photo by virithos on Flickr.

Boo and I went for a short hike this morning. 90 degrees is feeling too comfortable in the shade. Her half liter bottle warms up a lot faster than my 2 liter, so I let her drink my water when she started complaining. (Otherwise she just doesn't drink.) And hers was still almost empty at the end of our hour plus stroll. The one liter bottle is on its way, and I'm going to see how big a deal it is to shorten her tube...

How do you keep your bladder water cool on hot days.

Via Flickr:
There are a lot of little turkey feathers around.