Category Archives: Outdoors and Kids

Our thoughts on how to help your kids enjoy the outdoors.

Toddlers & Seniors Hit the Trail Together

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A few months ago the Little Laramie Hikers, a local kid-friendly hiking group that I started a few years ago ran into another local hiking group at Curt Gowdy State Park. We were at the Visitor's Center gawking at the mountain lion and wrangling kids in the parking lot when the Seniors on the Go pulled up. The were fit, energetic and headed out on a much faster and more rigorous hike than us. I was curious about the group so I started stalking them on facebook. I learned that both of our groups had similar goals and objectives. And……

3 More Kid-Friendly Hikes Near Laramie

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Last summer we published a list of our top kid-friendly hikes near Laramie. Those hikes include the following: Chimney Park Medicine Bow Rail Trail Lake Owen Loop Pole Creek Trail Bear Lake When I originally wrote this post I thought it was a bit incomplete so today I'm going to add three more kid-friendly hikes. Lake Marie to Mirror Lake. I hesitated in putting this path on the original list because it's a paved route, not a dirt trail and we're all about bonafide trails around here. Just park at Lake Marie in the Snowies and follow the path up……

How To Climb Medicine Bow Peak With Kids

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  Last week a friend posted this question on the facebook page of our local kid-friendly hiking group. Any tips for a family hike up Medicine Bow Peak? Best trailhead? It just happened to coincide with some other questions we've been asked lately regarding taking kids to the top of the peak. So, I thought it'd be a good time to talk a little bit about climbing Medicine Bow Peak with babies, toddlers, and preschoolers.  Medicine Bow Peak is the highest peak in the Snowy Range at 12,013 feet. It is part of a rugged ridge line that towers over……

Top 5 Kid-Friendly Hikes Near Laramie

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This summer I've been on a mission. To find hiking destinations with nice scenery, minimal elevation change and trails wide enough to accommodate a jogging stroller because let's be honest--I'd love to ditch the Chariot but 1/2 mile down the trail I'm usually pushing one child and carrying the other. Sure, I like steep technical trails and amazing views as much as the next hiker but since most of the time I hit the trails with William (3) and Finn (1) I need to go for easy. I you're looking to find us on a weekday morning there's a good……

Hiking With Kids Is Disgusting

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Motherhood is gross and hiking with kids is disgusting. There are always fat sticky fingers touching me. I constantly fight against bed-head, dirty fingernails, and milk mustaches. Don't even get me started on brushing my kid's teeth, it's traumatic for all parties involved. So, I don't do it nearly as often as I should. I swore I'd be the Mom whose children always wore clean matching clothes. Now I'm lucky if my free ballin' kids are actually wearing clothes. I hope there aren't any perverts in our new neighborhood. Our oldest son turns 3 next month. He wants to be a……

Trail’ology: Hiking Was Fun…Until I Had Kids

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As parents Al and I often think how easy it would be to plop our kiddos down in front of the TV rather than to make a conscious and deliberate effort to get them outside and on the trails. So far in our trail'ology series we've discussed several obstacles to outdoor recreation. Today we're talking about parenthood and being brutally honest about how sometimes our very own children (who we love to pieces) can keep us off the trails. A few days ago we made a spontaneous road trip decision and detoured through Zion National Park at the tail end……

Hiking with Babies & Toddlers: Frequently Asked Questions

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I've had so much fun the past several months working on our hiking with babies and toddlers series. The response has been overwhelming! Who would have thought that our most popular post would be how to change a diaper on the trail? In case you've missed it, here are the previous blog posts from this series: How to Hike While Pregnant How to Dress Babies and Toddlers for Hiking How to Choose Equipment to Carry Babies and Toddlers on a Hike How to Pack for a Day Hike with Babies and Toddlers The Trailhead Routine Tips for Breastfeeding on the trails How……

4 Safety Tips For Hiking with Toddlers

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We're back with our hiking with babies and toddlers series. Today we answer a question from a reader about how we keep our toddler safe on the trails when he isn't being carried in a backpack carrier. http://youtu.be/n90DalTvdcc Our 4 tips are: 1) Keep your toddler within reaching distance. We like to let our kid wander as far as we feel comfortable. This means on a wide open trail in a place without too many hazards he has more room to roam than on a trail over challenging terrain with more hazards. But, we never let our toddler wander so……

Tips For Hiking with a Baby in a Backpack Carrier

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We're back with another episode in our hiking with babies and toddlers video series. Today we share a few tips on hiking with a baby or a toddler in a backpack carrier. You may notice that in this video our carrier tends to push my neck and shoulders too far forward-that's a disadvantage of getting a screaming deal on a used carrier. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t-pcsK0UPSc&feature=youtu.be What tips do you have for hiking with a baby or toddler in a backpack carrier? And in case you missed it, here are links to our other videos in this series. How to Hike While Pregnant……

3 Tips for Hiking with a Baby in a Front Carrier

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When it comes to hiking with a baby in a front baby carrier a few simple tips can be the difference between a sore back the day after a hike and having steady footing on the trails. Here are 3 of our favorite tips for hiking with a baby in a front carrier. http://youtu.be/d85VBUeTyq0 How do you make hiking with a baby in a front carrier easier?  …