Part One: Choose Your Hike Doing practically anything with a young child requires extra planning, gear, and attention. To keep our hikes as simple as possible, I look for decently maintained trails that are easy to navigate. All of the hikes Luke and I do are on trails in established parks. Find a park in your local area or in the vicinity of a place you’d like to visit. One of the easiest ways to do this is to look up your location on Google Maps and scroll around for green areas. Take note of the names of nearby parks, forests, and recreation areas so you can look them up online. If you plan to hike regularly, keep a list of these places to make it that much easier when planning your next outing. Research the established trails using the park’s official website or a hiking app. Most regional, state, and national parks have detailed maps and trail descriptions online. You can usually get enough information about the park trails and other amenities from these sites to decide on an appropriate hike, but in some cases, you may need to continue your research.

If you can’t find a dedicated page for the trails in your park, or if you haven’t gotten all the information you need from the park’s website, you can usually fill the gap with a trail guide site or app. Most popular hiking websites have advanced search features to filter hikes using specific criteria. Most hike descriptions also include directions to the trailhead and necessary pass and/or fee information.longchamp backpack fiyat Choose a hike that is appropriate for your toddler’s interest and ability level. backpack hokitikaSome kids like to walk on their own, some kids enjoy riding in a carrier, some prefer a bit of both. wildcraft 15 inch laptop backpack aceThe descriptions on your park’s website and your favorite hiking app should give you an idea of the distance and difficulty of the trails available to you.vesuvius backpack trail

One to four miles is typically a good distance for us, with a very rare six to eight miler every once in a while. Depending on his mood, Luke alternates between hiking on his own and riding in a carrier. Our shorter hikes tend to be the ones he wants to do more walking. When I want to cover more ground, I carry him. Let go of your expectations and enjoy your hike for what it is: an opportunity to experience the outdoors with your child. ouija board backpack hot topicYou can plan everything perfectly and your hike can turn out completely opposite of what you expect. puma dizzy backpackTake what you can get. Most of our hikes do not go exactly as planned. Some hikes are cut short by toddler meltdowns. Some hikes rack up mile after unplanned mile because our moods are good and our energy levels are high. Some hikes are more fun and some hikes are more frustrating.

Hiking with a toddler is challenging, but I can honestly say that we both get something good out of each and every outing. Keep an eye out for the next part in the series! This post originally appeared on See Luke Go. Jessie Emslie writes from her home at the foot of Pikes Peak in Colorado Springs, Colorado, where she lives with her husband, her son, and her dog and cat. She is eagerly awaiting the arrival of her newest little adventurer in February. She is happiest exploring the outdoors with her toddler on her back, her husband by her side, and her camera in hand. Jessie documents her everyday adventures on Instagram and her blog, Two Kids in Tow, where she shares stories, tips, and guides to inspire other young families to go outside and explore the world together. Photographer captures unique family photos on the trail – interview with Arika BauerDoes the thought make you cringe? Having to coordinate outfits, choose a location, choose a photographer, and hope […]

Combination Hikes are My Favorite Combination hikes and the art of compromise. Combination hikes are a blend of kid paced or play and adult pace. Colorado is famous for skiing, but the picturesque snow-covered peaks harbor many secrets through the frozen winter months. Although most high alpine lakes are only visible only in the thaw of summer, they are a worthy and rewarding destination for intrepid backcountry travelers. For the most part, naturally occurring, high-elevation lakes in the San Juan Mountains of southwest Colorado were formed by glaciers and volcanoes. Their vivid turquoise blue has made places like Ice Lakes Basin famous and will prompt even novice photographers to try to capture the splendor of the scene. The opaque blue color of the lakes is due to the clearness of the water and the rock flour sediments that are carried to the lake with spring runoff. The brightness of the lakes is contingent upon the time of year visited because of the variation in the amount of rock flour reflecting blue wavelengths.

The lower elevation lakes are home to fish and aquatic plants and as a result are not a vibrant jewel tone. They are no less beautiful and should be explored for their scenic merit as well. Here, seven must-see alpine lakes near Durango. A short hike from Lime Creek Road through aspen groves and beaver ponds will bring you to the picturesque lake at the base of Potato Hill. With an elevation of only 11,871 feet, it is dwarfed by towering Engineer Mountain (12,968 feet) Grizzly Peak (13,738 feet), and Twilight Peak (13,158 feet). Looking up at the Twilight Range, fishing pole in hand next to the tranquil lake might prompt less ambitious hikers to wonder if the view could possibly be any better from the top. This easily accessed treasure is ideal for family camping, fishing, and hiking. Just minutes beyond the busy parking lot and camp ground for the Ice Lakes Basin hike, tucked into the recesses of the San Juan Mountains, is the old mining road that leads to Lake Hope.

The unmaintained road is wide and gradual compared to the steeps of many high alpine hikes and does not sacrifice beauty for its mellow incline. Elk, moose, and mining equipment can be found here, far from crowds and ripe for exploration. The historic mining site is up the hill to the north of the trail, which tops the pass and looks down on the glacially azure Lake Hope, with Trout Lake and Lizard Head Pass below. You will be hard pressed to find a Durango or Silverton local who has not scaled the heights to Ice Lake Basin. Its popularity is well-deserved; the hike is arduous but only 3.5 miles separate the parking lot from the shockingly blue lake that is your destination. It is easy to drive to, an excellent physical challenge, and an especially beautiful scene. Though daily traffic is not as heavy at Highland Mary’s as at Ice Lakes, there's a prolific number of locals who are familiar with the area. Still, that shouldn't deter you from a visit. The loop, which extends to the Continental Divide and Colorado Trail, measures just shy of eight miles.

However, the altitude does not vary significantly once the lakes are reached at mile 1.9. Many people choose to descend after seeing the lakes or continue on to Verde Lakes at 3.3 miles. Don’t forget to look up from the lakes once and a while to see the rolling high tundra and distant peaks to appreciate the scene in its entirety. A long drive up Missionary Ridge and a gradual hike north on Lime Mesa give no hint of the spectacular scene awaiting the explorer. After four miles of winding through tall pines, descend to Dollar Lake; continue to meander above treeline to the lookout, only four miles from the trailhead. From here, gasps, exclamations, and the clicking of cameras fill the air as the high mesa gives way to a spectacular view of the cobalt-blue Ruby Lake below, while 14ers Windom and Eolus create a jagged backdrop in the distance. This is one you'll want to savor for a while. Emerald Lake is a popular overnight camping trip, not least because hikers and horseback riders will want to spend extra time enjoying its grandeur.