Tips and Tricks for Hiking with a Toddler

This last Saturday, we kicked off our weekend with an early morning hike to explore yet, another beautiful spot the PNW has to offer. This has been our third hike this summer and through it all we have collected some “knowledge” to make the hike easier, enjoyable and to avoid “hangry” moments that Donovan and I tend to go through due to lack of food.

First off, there really isn’t profound knowledge/tricks that Tony and I know that you could not figure out for yourself because to be honest, I do not label us hard core hikers or anything. However, we love the outdoors, we love to spend time together as a family, and we love marveling at God’s creation. And through our experiences with our braving toddler, there are a few things that we have figured out.

We went with some friends of ours to Rattlesnake Ridge located in North Bend. The drive itself was not far and the hike itself was not as challenging as Poo Poo Point was. It is a little under 2 miles and being that it is an extremely popular hike, it can get congested very fast, ESPECIALLY on a weekend. GET THERE EARLY! The benefits to this are: you’ll be able to park closer to the beginning, you will not have to get out of the way of other hikers, and the most important reason, the very top is somewhat small and there are a couple of good picture taking points. So if you want those sought out pictures of Rattlesnake Lake, try to get there before the crowds come. We started hiking a little bit before 7 AM; it took us about 1-1/2 hours to get to the top and an hour to get down.

The top provided the breathtaking view of the mountains and offered beautiful scenery of the lake directly below it.

Here’s what we have learned:

·         BUY AN OSPREY!!! We have been using this since D was 6 months old and it was the BEST investment we could have gotten. We probably won’t be using it for much longer, being that D will be 4 (sniff) soon, but we have been able to use it A LOT!! These run from $250-$330, but I'm sure you can find them on craigslist!

·         Start your hike early! Get to be early, get a good night’s sleep, and try to be on your hike by 7-8 AM. This avoids a lot of things such as parking too far, congested trails and not given the opportunity to take good pictures because there were too many people.

·         Pack snacks and water. I’m pretty sure that’s a no brainer, but honestly, I did not even think to bring snacks when we first started hiking and because D and I get a bit emotional when our tummies are rumbling, pack your goldfish cracker or CLIFF bars!

·         Let you toddler walk as much as they want to! With D, we encourage him to walk/hike to get him use to exercise. I know that sounds like, NO DUH! But sometimes, it IS easier just to carry them, however, give them the chance to enjoy hiking too!

·         Explain SAFETY to your toddler. We have taught him hiking etiquette and safety when we reach the top. It can be a little scary to have them roaming the top when there is such a big drop off, but we not only keep a close eye on him, but are very thorough of explaining safety

·         Research your hike first! The distance, directions on how to get there, the challenge level, how far it is to get there, parking, others reviews…I have the AllTrails app and it is EXCELLENT for all hikes ANYWHERE!

There are a couple of more places that I want to try to fit in before the summer is over, but I’m always open to suggestions!! What are YOUR favorite hikes?

Let’s tackle this work week! Happy Monday Friends!

XOXOXO

Tiff