I spent this last weekend with my 5 year old daughter Gillian on her very first overnight backpacking trip. It was long overdue. I have been meaning to get her in to the backcountry for a year now but it has not happened due to a bunch of pesky factors. But this was a perfect first time out and well worth the wait.
We hiked from the Ozette ranger station the 3.1 miles out to Cape Alava. I was really worried about the weather. When we arrived at the trailhead we were in a steady rain. I did not want her first experience to be sitting in a tent for 48 hours listening to the rain come down. But alas, by the time we reached camp, the sun had come out and we had blue skies from Friday evening thru Sunday when we left.
We were joined by my buddy Jon and his 7 year old Owen. The highlights of the trip were the weather, the Native American petroglyphs and of course 3 amazing days with my girl. She rocked the trail and the camp, never a complaint and loved every minute of it. I am very proud of her. And she told me I am the best hiker in the world today on the drive home!!
Here are some pics.
