Umsaskis
New member
While I imagine somehow that the term "papoose" is probably no longer politically correct (though I haven't heard one way or the other), this is what I will dub my daughter for her trail name. Before she was born I had determined that I would do my best to treat her as early native Americans likely treated their infants, and take her everwhere with me on my back or front, rather than be stuck at home not daring to bring her out in the bugs. This has become especially important since she steadfastly refuses to take a bottle and thus everywhere I go, she must also go since I am her food source.
Our first experimental hike (aside from a couple of walks up Mt. Prospect in Lancaster) was Starr King. Since this peak is short and close to home it made a good trial hike when the Papoose was 3 months old, and she did quite well, sleeping most of the way, and not minding terribly that her diaper changes added a little bit of dirt to her clothes or that she had her lunchtime milk in the open air. As this hike went well, I decided to do Mount Clinton with her last week when she was almost 4 months. I did not realize that she would be the belle of the ball on this popular trail! Two people wanted photos of her, one man took great delight in watching her suck her fingers while peeking out from under her hat as we bounced down the trail, and another party of two young guys said, "we heard about you and the little baby at the summit" as they overtook us halfway back down. Oh yes, everybody overtook us and it was by no means the peak-chasing kind of hike that I am used to. For one thing I can't see my feet with the Papoose in her front carrier, which can be rather troublesome on the descent. I also have to keep from banging her into rocks and trees, which requires more thoughtful steps. Then there are the feeding stops (although she kept looking at me and smiling or looking at the trees whenever I stopped to feed her so I don't know how much she actually ate). And of course, the diaper changes. These have become more and more interesting since she now is learning to roll over and she kept rolling off the changing pad onto the dirt and soiling (literally!) her clean diapers, along with peeing all over the blanket which I then had to stuff back in my pack! All in all she did quite well on this longer hike, although I think 6-7 miles is about her limit of tolerance for the time being. I'm rather proud of her, actually. I can't think of too many other 4-month-olds who have seen Diapensia in bloom.
Yesterday we took a 2-mile excursion in Victory State Forest with my husband and parents, and got caught in a brief but intense downpour on the edge of a thunderstorm. I kept her dry in her little Santa Peak jacket, but then she wanted to eat, so I stood (not sat, since all the logs were soaked) feeding her while my mother held the jacket over her to keep her dry and waved away the mosquitoes. Meanwhile my husband and father went on ahead - with the backpack and the diapers, and within minutes I heard that telltale noise that signals a desperate and immediate need for a new diaper. Fortunately, upon checking her diaper I found that it had only been a noise and we made it back to the car safely!
She definitely makes hiking interesting, and adds a measure of adventure to the smooth, easy trails that I would typically consider to be very unadventurous. I hope she still likes it when it is her own feet that carry her up the trail.
Our first experimental hike (aside from a couple of walks up Mt. Prospect in Lancaster) was Starr King. Since this peak is short and close to home it made a good trial hike when the Papoose was 3 months old, and she did quite well, sleeping most of the way, and not minding terribly that her diaper changes added a little bit of dirt to her clothes or that she had her lunchtime milk in the open air. As this hike went well, I decided to do Mount Clinton with her last week when she was almost 4 months. I did not realize that she would be the belle of the ball on this popular trail! Two people wanted photos of her, one man took great delight in watching her suck her fingers while peeking out from under her hat as we bounced down the trail, and another party of two young guys said, "we heard about you and the little baby at the summit" as they overtook us halfway back down. Oh yes, everybody overtook us and it was by no means the peak-chasing kind of hike that I am used to. For one thing I can't see my feet with the Papoose in her front carrier, which can be rather troublesome on the descent. I also have to keep from banging her into rocks and trees, which requires more thoughtful steps. Then there are the feeding stops (although she kept looking at me and smiling or looking at the trees whenever I stopped to feed her so I don't know how much she actually ate). And of course, the diaper changes. These have become more and more interesting since she now is learning to roll over and she kept rolling off the changing pad onto the dirt and soiling (literally!) her clean diapers, along with peeing all over the blanket which I then had to stuff back in my pack! All in all she did quite well on this longer hike, although I think 6-7 miles is about her limit of tolerance for the time being. I'm rather proud of her, actually. I can't think of too many other 4-month-olds who have seen Diapensia in bloom.
Yesterday we took a 2-mile excursion in Victory State Forest with my husband and parents, and got caught in a brief but intense downpour on the edge of a thunderstorm. I kept her dry in her little Santa Peak jacket, but then she wanted to eat, so I stood (not sat, since all the logs were soaked) feeding her while my mother held the jacket over her to keep her dry and waved away the mosquitoes. Meanwhile my husband and father went on ahead - with the backpack and the diapers, and within minutes I heard that telltale noise that signals a desperate and immediate need for a new diaper. Fortunately, upon checking her diaper I found that it had only been a noise and we made it back to the car safely!
She definitely makes hiking interesting, and adds a measure of adventure to the smooth, easy trails that I would typically consider to be very unadventurous. I hope she still likes it when it is her own feet that carry her up the trail.
