And baby makes three?

[Tramper Al]

I was inspired by a post on the Trips section.

The lore:

Having a new baby ends (curtails, modifies, boosts?) promising New England hiking career.

Fact or Myth?

 

[Grumpy]

Let's hope . . .

It is fiction.

Having a kid changes your life. But there is no reason it should "end a promising New England hiking career."

Just an opinion.

G.

 

[SherpaKroto]

Not necessarily ended, just postponed, limited, restricted, etc. until you are lucky enough to share the mountains with them. I know why I could only do 1-2 trips a year for nearly 20 years. YM(hopefully)MV.

All in all it's another part of life well worth living. The mountains will be there for you as long as you need them.

BTW, are you trying to tell us something?

 

[Blue]

Gasp.. is Tramper Al pregnant?
His tummy seemed normal sized in Baxter, but then again,
he did eat a lot of Canadian bacon.

Knowing you, Tramper, I would say that a baby would not 'end' a promising hiking career!

 

[forty8]

Speaking for only myself, babies most definitely limited my time and attention to the mountains that I love. I know the mountains will always be there, but I won't. Now that the kids are older, I attempt to "drag" them out more frequently. Meanwhile, Friends have gotten old and out of shape. When I can go, most of my hikes are now solo.

 

[Mad Townie]

Young babies didn't have nearly as much of a curtailing effect on my time in the woods as did having them get a little older. More and more of your Saturdays and Sundays get used up with kid activities for awhile, as they find their own interests in addition to the outdoors.

Then they get a driver's license, and you're back to hiking alone!

 

[prino]

Ironically, I did more hiking with my kids when they were really young....like in a backpack kidcarrier.
It takes a great deal of effort to get my boys out on the trail now they are teenagers!

 

[snowshoe]

My wife will be having a baby come July and I plan on still hiking a lot. I may not be able to travel as far but for me I live close to hundreds of miles of hiking trails so it still alowes me to get out. I look at it this way it is either sit in the house like most Americans or actually get outside and get your child use to being outdoors and being active. No matter where you are you still have to feed and change diapers. Yes it is probably a little harder to do in the woods but like anything else it just taKes patience and getting use to.

 

[MadRiver]

All of my friends who have kids have had to greatly curtail, or in some cases, totally give up their outdoor activities until the child leaves for college. Ok, college is a bit of an exaggeration, but at least until they were mid-teenagers.

If one spouse is a non-outdoor enthusiast, and is extremely understanding, usually the other spouse can continue, albeit limited, his/her outdoor activities. If, however, the children show absolutely no interest in any type of outdoor activity, all is then lost.

 

[Jasonst]

I packed my 24 pounder up Pemigewasset last year (30 lbs with pack) While this isn't an overly heavy load, the shifting weight made it more difficult than expected! I wonder how it will be this summer since he has grown like a weed over the winter!

I also have a very accommodating / understanding wife that encourages me to get out and hike. I hope to take my 6 yr old up a larger peak this year...

 

[Tramper Al]

Boys will be boys?

Wow, what a wide range of opinions (and experiences) in this area.

First, I should say that there has been only one 'peak' on the top of my life's list for some years now, and we are expecting him in July.

Second, I do seem to have a fantastic better half who is somewhat less outdoor-oriented, and extremely supportive of my outdoor adventures (obviously).

We are making all the usual preparations:
- Used our REI dividend for cool stroller which converts to jogger, bike trailer, rickshaw or ski pulk.
- Installed middle seat in the tandem canoe for future years (post smimming lessons).
- Researched all manner of child packs, snugglies and other carriers.
- Made up a new blank spreadsheet of NH 48, for someone's future use, should it come up.
- Supporting those organizations that have preserved and are preserving the New England outdoors for our children and their children.

Doesn't that about cover it?

 

[Peakbagr]

I didn't have a problem with babies limiting my hiking. Its when they get a tad older and get into activities. Moving up day, birthday, sports, dance, HS teams, practices, etc.
When my children hit 5 or 6 it started impacting. I ended up coaching 4 sports and when my son hit high school, he placed in 2 varsity sports. I NEVER missed a single game and often watched practices.
I went from being out in the woods 40 ot 45 weekends a year for many, many years, to fewer and fewer, to the point when my only hiking was easy, short hikes with the spouse and neighbors. The only exception were the every few years trips out west.
Now that the kids have flown the coop, I've been getting out much more, but find it impossible to get out like I did before. That makes me treasure the days I can get out all the much more.
I don't think I mentioned this...I wouldn't trade all the coaching, and event-watching in my kids lives for anything. It was life-changing.

 

[Papa Bear]

I remember clearly when our kids came along - instead of backpacking we switched to kayak camping.

In those days we had a two man klepper fold boat (yes we lived, and still live in a NYC apartment).

We would go camping on places like Cranberry Lake in the ADKs and camp on an island a few miles out. In those days you could drink the lake water (late 60s).

Every year the kids would look forward to the dreaded boat drill. What was the boat drill: everyone gets in the boat with life jackets (always worn, drill or no drill) and we would carefully capsize and swamp the boat (near shore). The kids (and us adults) would have to get back in, sit in the swamped boat, and paddle to shore by hand. They always did it and it was never a splashing game. Those were the days.

Then when my son was 10 or so he wanted to go out by himself (he could swim pretty well). Guess what, he first did his own boat drill, all by himself. Made me very proud.

Now he has the Klepper (yes, it still floats), has a two year old son, and a daughter on the way. But he remembers his solo boat drill to this day!

Pb

 

[Skiddah]

I've got four kids, from ages three to twelve. I have taken them all on hikes, and I have left them all home for hikes. I have only missed a few hikes in the last four or five years because of the kids. My wife is understanding, but she also joins us for some day hikes. This year she will even be joining in the big backpacking trip. My parents are a huge help, gladly taking a few grandkids for the weekend while we go off hiking.

I have had to curtail the hiking ambition a bit though. Fall hiking is more difficult once school starts back up. Scouts, sports, and other things are always coming up, just as some other posters have mentioned.

And we end up doing a lot of other things like camping trips out of the back of the truck, or spending time on the lake with the pontoon boat fishing for Bass.

So, I guess, if you wanted to make a "Career" out of hiking, you would be in trouble. But if you are willing to settle for a career in the outdoors, you are far from being at the end of the road.

Good luck and congratulations Tramper Al !

 

[coldmountain]

I have two. 8 & 6. Your question prompted me to go back and review my hiking sheets;
Northeast 4000' hikes( some repeats)
1991 9 1998 2
1992 12 1999 5
1993 16 2000 12
1994 11 2001 10
1995 7 2002 11
1996 0 2003 14
1997 2 2004 3 so far

Numbers dont lie. My kids were born in 96 & 98.
Its was fun to go back to those "little" hikes like Mt Major, Kidder Mtn, Mt Willard etc. I wanted to introduce them gradually so as not to make them look at it like they needed to enjoy it to please me. So far so good. I climbed Mt.Hale last August with my then 5 year old and he loved it.

 

[nietzschescat]

It's pretty easy to carry your kids on the trails for the first 2 years.......someone carries the baby and someone carries the pack. I took my first daughter on her first hike in October when she was a month old. We got some looks, but she survived and she's almost 21.
She was able to hike the Mink Hollow Trail (Catskills) from Lake Hill to the leanto when she was 6 or 7. We carried her sister in the backpack. That's about a 6 mile round trip with some signifigant water crossings.
Like everyone mentioned, it gets a little more difficult when they get older and have their own activities. My older daughter still likes to hike with me when she is home from college. The little one likes it less, but she's 15.
I figure it's not over until it's over. I met an 80 year old man on Mt.Washington when I was 20.I just got my first pair of snowshoes and plan to keep hiking as long as I can walk.

Enjoy your baby. Glenda

 

[brianW]

Tramper, I would have to say it is a myth. The 'trail" you take changes to some degree as you take your kid(s) with you. Instead of mile/peaks you enjoy the laughable moments more, the kids sense of adventure, the excitement of conquerring a trail side boulder and the wet feet of stream crossings.

 

[imarchant]

I have my child to thank for getting me back into hiking. As a teenager I rember hiking. When my son entered boy scouts I decided to share these memories with the boys. I now do the hiking merit badge which allows me to get out and do some more hiking and spend time whith these enthusiasic youngsters enjoying the outdoors. While I do not get out as often as I wish I hope to impart the joy of this activity to future generations.

 

[Jonatha]

Tramper Al,

My kids got me back into it as well. I grew up on Monadnock, so to speak, and then came college, marriage, kids, soccer, ballet recitals.......you get the picture. Fast forward 14 years of parenting (which, imho is the best thing in the world - and a lot of work, hmmm, kind of like climbing mountains) Anyways, 2 years ago while working at the summer camp my 3 kids attend in Maine I was sent to Pinkham to pick up trip - was bitten by the bug right there and then and hopped right back into it. 18 months later, completed the 48, climb with my kids, and got to meet Brutus. So life is good!!! Enjoy it, enjoy it!!!

 

[mavs00]

It will change????

There is nothing quite so rewarding as taking your child by the hand and and exploring the great outdoors together. It will take a few years to fully mature, and even then it will only last until they get old enough to move on to other things. I cherish the times I spend in the mountians with my kids (and wife, for that matter).

Things WILL change..............For the better.

Congrats to you and your wife.