First Family Backpacking Trip!

We went on our first backpacking trip with the whole family a few weeks ago. Michael and I have been wanting to do backpacking with the family for a while, and have been gathering up all the gear we would need for the last year or so.  So we did a short trip to a place we’re really familiar with for our first one — we went after Michael got home from work Friday evening to Three Sisters Falls and got back late Saturday afternoon. 

We had lots of fun, and learned a few good lessons (1. In the future, it would be a little less stressful if it’s possible for Michael to take the afternoon off work on Friday, just because it’s a little tough to wait until he gets home from work, we drive to the location, we hike in, and then race to set up camp as quick as we can before dark. And 2. Don’t pitch a tent on a little bit of a slope, especially with a nice slick bed of oak leaves underneath, or your kids may shift in the night and roll the entire tent over down the little slope, coming to rest precariously leaning onto the side of your tent).  

We hiked in down the old original trail, so we got to go down the steep dirt trail and down the fun rocks, and we camped in the bottom of the valley.  The Jet Boil stove I got Michael for Christmas came in real handy for heating up the water really quickly. And the boys enjoyed the freeze dried backpacking meals. 

In the morning we hiked up to the falls, and had fun up there. Although it was the hottest time of year we had ever been there before, there was still enough water in the 2nd falls for the boys to wade, and in the 3rd falls for swimming.  And apparently all the garter snakes in the area wanted to cool off too, because we caught several while they swam in the pools too. 

Afterwards we hiked back out on the new trail that cuts across the side of the canyon straight back from the middle falls. On such a hot day, it was nice not to have to climb back out the steep way on the old trail. We made it out without any problems, making sure to drink plenty of water along the way. And we had a nice late lunch/dinner at 5 Guys afterwards. 

Overall, I’d say it was a good first backpacking trip. And if you ask the boys what their favorite part was, they’d tell you it was having the blueberry granola for breakfast. 😉