...it was my little girl's first backpack trip. We did a short overnighter, her first camping trip in the woods. (Thus far she has only camped in the backyard with me). Anyway, as we started on the trail, we passed the Wash Creek Horse camp which was occupied with some riders. A lady approached and informed me there had been a sow bear with two cubs in the area all morning, and had an hour earlier headed up the mountain, the direction we were headed. Great. Her horses were just settling down as they had seen the bear earlier and had apparently winded it for some time afterward.
Anyway, bears don't really worry me, sows with cubs are a different story, especially with a 6 year old along. So I kept and sharp eye out and we kept a clean camp and dropped not a crumb. Everything was bagged and hung, and I slept with a pistol beside my head. We never saw the bears which were probably two mountains over by the time we hiked in.






We found a fairly freshly killed rabbit near camp. It's head was gone and it had been left there. I thought that odd but figured whatever critter killed it was spooked away by a mountain biker or the horse riders. I carried the rabbit way on up the trail as we went for a hike and tossed it into the bushes.







Anyway, like I said I know this is a backpack hunting forum but we occasionally post photos of just hiking and camping trips so I thought I'd post these. I was proud of her. She mentioned her pack was getting heavy and when I offered to carry it she refused, choosing to carry it herself. She just had her book bag with her sleeping bag and a few odd & ends. She's only 6 but she was a little trooper and never really complained. I was proud of her and just wanted to share some of the pictures.

By the way, in the first photo please notice my HPG Kit bag doing new duty. I keep finding new things to use it for, this time to transport "Max" the monkey, who prefered to keep his head out and watch where we were going!

Thanks evanhill!

AWESOME STUFF!

What a lovely little doll!!!! You should be, as can see that you are, VERY proud of her, she has the makings of a fine mountain woman!

If, when she gets older, you want to come to BC and see some of the finest wilderness left on this beleaguered planet, just PM me and I will give you a few tips that most do not know of, there are some places here that will blow your mind and are not that hard to get into.

That's great!

Thanks for posting.

Great pictures. You are an awesome Dad!

Very nice!!! You both look like you had a lot of fun!

Way to go Dad! She is a lucky little lady and will remember that camping trip with her dad for a long time to come.

That's great!!

Priceless... all wonderful photos and nearly bring tears to my eyes.

The time goes too quickly. My daughter turns 23 this February.

Fantastic!! Great pictures.

Wonderful, absolutely wonderful.

Looks like you unintentionally "hunted" up a rabbit anyway.

Geno

Backpacking trips hunting or not are always the best. Thanks for sharing the pics. Awesome stuff there for sure!!!

Great photos and memories! Great Job Dad!

Max's first camping trip too eh?

Thanks for the awesome pics!

Maybe the best "backpack" thread of all time. Thank you for sharing.

Dave

I have to agree.

Love the pictures....thanks for sharing.

no, better than a backpack hunting trip. thanks for the pictures.

Sir, I doff my cap to you

Awesome pics and story! Thanks for sharing.

Two Thumbs up, snubbie! Your little girl will have some 'forever memories' from your time in the hills together, for sure...

Thanks everyone.
My dad never had much free time but I well remember the first fishing trip he took me on. We caught 8 catfish and I caught an ugly ole carp. My gear was a cane pole.
That 3 pound carp was the biggest fish in the world to a 5 year old boy! I made such a fuss over that magnificent catch my dad didn't have the heart to make me turn it loose. so Pop had that carp mounted, an expense that was NOT in the family budget I'm sure.
That carp is over 45 years old now and hangs downstairs in my shop!

Dad is gone now but the memories are cherished. I hope when I'm gone my little girl will cherish the memories with her dad. In the meantime, I intend to continue "making memories".

That is awesome to get today youngsters into the outdoor instead of video games. I took my wife and little guy out for their first camping trip:) it was in the mid 30's.

Ha! That cold isn't bothering him any! Good for you!

Outstanding thread, this is!

Well, you can 'hunt' for a lot of things other than meat. Hunting for memories qualifies in my book. I started following my dad around the mountains when I was about 8. I don't have any paper pics of those early years, but I have LOTS of 'digital' ones in my head.

I remember a backpack trip I took in college. We were 8 miles in and setting up camp at Frog Lake in Idaho's Whitecloud Mtns when a guy came by with this HUGE pack and 2 small girls. Later we passed their camp. They had an old umbrella tent (the kind with the spider frame), and, believe it or not, a cast iron frying pan. The girls were too small to carry much so that guy's pack must have weighted 120 lb!

Too cool snubbie!

Looks like you two had a great trip!

Awesome!
We are doing this with our little one. She is now 3 1/2 and loves camping, though for us it's only a couple of miles to the camp sites in state parks. But she has a pack that's a little too big that she carries her pajamas and a stuffed toy in.

We had to let go of nap time and make her do her own walking so that she'd sleep at night instead of going on about sleeping in the tent!

But the thrill to see the stars out in the middle of nowhere is great!

We found a pack that fits small kids (she is quite tall for her age) that she'll be getting for Xmas that has a hydration pocket.

Can't wait 'til she's big enough to take on a real hiking trip like that!

dude, this is some good stuff. Good dad

Great thread Snubbie...I do a lot of hiking and camping with my 4-1/2 yr old...with our SL-3 too. In fact, I just bought him a DIY kids sized hammock to fit under my tarp next to my hammock.
Love to see the next generation getting outside, and away from the video games.

Congrats on your great memory making trip,
Johnny.

Congrats Dad! Way to build a partner. Only going to get better.

THAT is what its all about.

Me too ... & mine is only 8 months!