Less than a year ago, I wrote my first blog post about backpacking as a family. In the past few months, we have continued to spend many Sundays on the trail and added several overnight trips allowing us to push the boundaries of our backcountry experience. We went from being newbies to becoming regular weekend backpackers, we discovered little sections of the beautiful Pacific Crest Trail (PCT), 2650 miles that connect Mexico to Canada, and we definitely learned a few lessons on the way.
Our path so far
Just a year ago, we started out with the Sierra Club’s Wilderness Basic Course. I remember setting up our new tent in the backyard for the very first time before my first car camp. We had bought just the gear we needed, starting out with one sleeping bag and pad, and a tent. My husband and I were alternating weekends, each of us went out 4 times with different WBC leaders.
After the course was over, we rented gear to take the kids and doggy out. Little by little we learned to plan our own outings, we bought more gear to accommodate everyone’s needs on the trail, and we have done many more miles as day hikes and over 100 miles of overnight weekend outings. We are still at the very beginning of the journey, but it has already been amazing and I can’t wait for more!
Lessons from the trail
The trail is a great teacher, eye-, and mind-opener! It has demanded patience, perseverance, and flexibility from all of us, as well as left us many times in awe and amazement. It definitely is a place and space for everyone to grow. And we surely have been gifted several lessons on the way:
1. If you overcome the initial hurdle the reward is amazing
The kids have not always been as enthusiastic as my husband and I to get out for new adventures. The most difficult moments were usually before getting to the trail.
My older one is not a great fan of getting organized and packing the strict minimum. And just spending a quiet weekend at home in front of a computer can sometimes sound so much easier than getting out, we all know that! However, he has observed how proud and happy he is after we come back from outings, and he has mentioned that the trail is a happy place he seeks in his mind when he gets stressed out.
2. Pre-trail anxiety is real
There is always some anxiety involved when going out into nature, to places we have never been. The mind always needs to be tamed because it has this tendency to worry: “What if we can’t walk that far? What if we run out of water? What if someone gets hurt? What if we get freezing cold at night? What if we encounter wild animals?” … but at some point you have to remember that one option is: “And what if everything goes well?” Or as my younger one says: “Mom, what could possibly go wrong? All you have to do is walk all day, easy!” And right then is when your mind starts to relax and enjoy!
3. The journey is the goal
We have enjoyed discovering little sections of the Pacific Crest Trail during off season when it is almost empty. This was important for us, especially at the beginning, as we needed to discover how far we could go. Having all the campsite available assured us that we could easily stop whenever we got tired.
Little by little we managed to increased our daily mileage, we learned how much elevation gain we could handle, how much weight each of us could carry, how much water we needed, and what temperature range we were comfortable in. Planning became easier as we learned and slowly started to push our limits.
We are all getting better, stronger, more comfortable, and can’t wait to go out there for more and longer adventures! What an amazing path to be on!
4. There is a place and space for everyone
It is indeed important to find how we complement each other as a family and how we can all contribute to a group’s well functioning. It took us a little while to figure this out, but we did!
The boys alternate in taking the lead. We made sure they know to wait for us at each intersection and we all carry a walkie talkie to talk to each other whenever necessary.
My older one spends much of his time on the trail thinking, inventing, and being creative. In fact, he is in charge of documenting our journey. He takes pictures and makes short videos and reminds us to do so too, and he is planning our soon to come Youtube Channel “The Deglon Pack Outdoors”. Stay tuned! His challenge is sometimes to keep his eyes on the trail rather than on the camera. Unfortunately, he had to learn the hard way after twisting his ankle while taking pictures. I have to say though, he handled it like a trooper, hiking out of the canyon despite the injury!
My younger one, Little Mr. Organized, has indeed the best organized pack after a few episodes of not finding his snacks when needed and rethinking the concept of packing smartly. He also has the most organized spot in the tent and is the bravest when it comes to ‘bathing’ in cold water! He is in charge of looking for and filtering water. This is quite a challenging task in SoCal but he has done amazingly well!
I am very proud of my boys because despite the initial hesitation, once we are out on the trail, they are doing really well!
Our Goldendoodle seems very happy on the trail with us, she runs back and forth between the kids and us making sure all her little sheep are well! The challenge is to keep her tick and fleas free, especially since she sleeps in the tent with us. So a tick collar or tick spray, and a tick check every night is always recommended, for everyone!
My husband carries the biggest pack as he greatly contributes to the family’s wellbeing on trail. A big part of his gear are electronics to keep us safe. He is always testing the latest accessories and discussing the pros and cons with the boys. He also carries the stove and extra food, and prepares all our meals. I am super happy to say, that my husband has been very supportive of all my planning and a driving force on all the outings. I couldn’t have done it without him!
I am the planner and the safety person of the pack! I am at the tail of the group, because most of the time I am the slowest, and because as a mom I need to make sure no one stays behind. I took a wilderness first aid course which I was hoping would make me feel more confident. I am not sure it did that because it also made me more aware of everything that could go wrong! What I can say for sure is that in order to have fun and enjoy the outdoors, safety is key! A big part of the adventure is planning well, being prepared and aware of potential dangers, knowing your group’s physical capacity, paying attention to the surroundings, avoiding preventable errors, and a hoping for a bit of luck!
5. Your team is only as strong as its weakest member
Who the weakest member is can vary depending on conditions. Our doggy who easily outruns everyone in cooler weather will not be happy if the temperature goes above 75F, or if there are lots of prickly plants on the ground. I don’t do well downhill but can get ahead of my husband going uphill. I do better in the heat while my husband does better in the cold. The kids do best with a faster pace with lots of little snack breaks while my husband and I prefer a slow and steady pace. This is where the walkie talkies come in handy and communicating one’s needs and limits is crucial.
6. Hike your own hike
It is really important to give everyone some space to let them hike their own hike, of course, within safe boundaries. It will be physically exhausting if you are trying to keep up with someone else’s pace, and mentally very frustrating if you constantly have to listen to someone else’s dialogue. The trail is a place where you should find your own space, physically and mentally.
7. Everything on the trail gets amplified
It does seem as if everything on the trail is amplified, life is more intense, more tiring but also so much more rewarding!
8. It is not always just easy and fun
Aches and pains are part of getting used to carrying a heavy backpack for several hours a day on an uneven trail. We had a twisted ankle, blisters, and migraines that forced us to change our plans, turn around, and cut short our outings.
Weather can also be a frustrating factor that demands flexibility repeatedly. We had to adapt, reschedule, change our destination several times due to excess wind, heat, rain, and mudslides.
We ran into closed gates at private properties that wouldn’t let us access the trail as planned. A muddy clogged filter also dictated our path at one point.
In these moments being well prepared, having an alternate plan, and staying flexible are all you have to ease the frustration.
9. Learn to listen to your body
We are walking for hours! Therefore it is really crucial to start out well nourished and well hydrated. Once we start hiking, it is very important to take regular breaks and make sure the body gets the fuel and nutrients it needs to perform and recover on the way. Pressure points anywhere on the body, but especially on the feet need to be addressed right away. If we don’t pay attention, things will only get worse, and our journey may end very quickly! And if we do, our journey may lead to many more wonderful adventures.
10. Find a balance between paying attention and relaxing the mind
The mind is your ally as its job it to pay attention and keep you safe. It helps you stay aware of your surroundings and avoiding dangers. However, the mind can also be your enemy if it gets in the way and worries too much. The trail requests that you find a balance between the right amount of attention and relaxation to enjoy and stay safe.
11. Reconnect and listen to your soul
The trail allows us to reconnect with nature and with ourselves, to be in the moment, to find our place, to disconnect from the daily stress of our busy lives.
The trail demands flexibility and patience while sharing its peace, quiet, and beauty! It teaches us to slow down, move through life one step at a time, absorb the amazing beauty of its surroundings, to enjoy!
NEW ADVENTURES AHEAD
I am sure there are many more lessons for us to learn out there, all we have to do is keep going out!
I cannot explain the passion we have for the trail but am sure thrilled to have joined a community of people who share it with us! We had lots of hikers we met say how wonderful it is that we take the kids on this journey!
We are just starting our second round with the WBC and I am just as excited to go on outings and learn more from new people as I am sad to leave my kids and husband behind, as the minimum age for WBC is 14 y.o.
It’ll be interesting to read this post next year and do another update to see where our path has taken us!
Happy trails everyone!
You can read all about our start in Welcome To Paradise – Hiking and backpacking as a family!
