Hike It Baby: 100 Awesome Outdoor Adventures with Babies and Toddlers

377 Pages·2018·13.07 MB·English

by  Shanti Hodges

HiKE iT
BABY

HiKE
iT
BABY
100 Awesome outdoor Adventures
with BABies and t oddlers
shanti hodges
Foreword By dr. scott sAmpson,
host of pBs Kids Dinosaur Train
An imprint of The Rowman & Littlefield Publishing Group, Inc.
4501 Forbes Blvd., Ste. 200
Lanham, MD 20706
www.rowman.com
Falcon and FalconGuides are registered trademarks and Make Adventure Your Story is
a trademark of The Rowman & Littlefield Publishing Group, Inc.
Distributed by NATIONAL BOOK NETWORK
Copyright © 2018 Shanti Hodges
All photos by the author unless otherwise noted
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any
electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems,
without written permission from the publisher, except by a reviewer who may quote
passages in a review.
British Library Cataloguing in Publication Information available
library of congress cataloging-in-publication data available
ISBN 978-1-4930-3390-4 (paperback)
ISBN 978-1-4930-3391-1 (e-book)
The paper used in this publication meets the minimum requirements of American
National Standard for Information Sciences—Permanence of Paper for Printed Library
Materials, ANSI/NISO Z39.48-1992.
Printed in the United States of America
Hike it Baby hikes are led by volunteers who have no professional training and are not
experts to guide families on hikes. They are people who want to raise a generation to
love the outdoors and they accomplish this by facilitating meetings outside for all to
join. Tips like these have been gathered from collective experience. As with any physical
activity, please be sure to check with your healthcare provider and other experts when
hiking with your children.
The authors and The Rowman & Littlefield Publishing Group, Inc.
assume no liability for accidents happening to, or injuries sustained by, readers
who engage in the activities described in this book.
acknowlegments
To begin, I’d like to thank the entire Hike it Baby community and other
contributing organizations: Adventure Mamas, Women Who Hike, 52 Hikes
Challenge, and the individuals who jumped in when I put a call out for the
best Hike it Baby adventures. Not only did location ideas stream into my
inbox, but fully baked pieces with photos, making the daunting task of writing
this book easier. I would especially like to thank Bobby and Maura Marko,
Kristin Hinnant (photos and text), Katy Severe, Melissa Hollingsworth (photos
and text), Maureen Cooper, Jessica Featherstone, Kiera Wickliffe Berger,
Angela Malson (photos and text), Amelia Mayer (photos and text), Jennifer
Bradwin and Christel Peters.
A huge shout-out to Kristin Mannion and Vong Hamilton for helping me
organize when I realized this was a much bigger project than originally
anticipated. To the Hike it Baby leadership team (Jessica Carrillo Alatorre,
Corie Reeves, Jessica Featherstone and Bailey Ludlam) who ran everything
while I worked on the book. Thank you to my friend Donna Vasquez who took
care of Mason and kept him entertained while I worked.
So much appreciation for my editor, Ursula Cary, who guided me from shap-
ing the proposal to writing the final pages. And thanks to the rest of the team
at Globe Pequot and FalconGuides.
A much needed shout-out to the first five women who ever went hiking
with me that lovely July 2013 day. Also to all of my hike crew and branch
ambassadors in Portland who pushed me along to keep the momentum
going as Hike it Baby began to grow.
Lastly, so much love and huge thanks forever to my husband Mark Hodges,
who held my hand, read my pages, offered me insights, and put me in check
when I doubted I could do this. Without him and our spirited, adventure-
loving, often-barefoot-hiking son Mason, this book and the whole organization
of Hike it Baby wouldn’t exist.
ForEword 8 IdAHo
Mores Mountain Interpretive Trail. . . . . .119
InTroducTIon 13
IllInoIs
How To usE THIs BooK 18
St. Louis Canyon and Wildcat Canyon . . .121
AlABAmA Rim Rock RecreationalTrail . . . . . . . . 124
Cahaba River Loop. . . . . . . . . . . . . .22
IndIAnA
Pond Way . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .24
Turkey Run . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 134
AlAsKA Edesses Trail . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 137
Turnagain Arm Trailhead. . . . . . . . . . .27
IowA
Spencer Glacier. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .29
Hickory Ridge Trail. . . . . . . . . . . . . 140
ArIzonA
KAnsAs
Boyce Thompson Arboretum . . . . . . . . 32
Monument Rocks. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 143
West Fork of Oak Creek Canyon . . . . . . 35
Upper Ridge Trail and South Trail. . . . . 145
ArKAnsAs
KEnTucKY
Falls Branch Trail . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
Rock Bridge Trail . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 148
cAlIFornIA
mAInE
Barney Lake Trail . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .48
Wonderland Trail . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 154
Redwood Grove Loop Trail and
Jordan Pond Westside Trail . . . . . . . . 156
San Lorenzo River Trail . . . . . . . . . . 51
Hidden Valley. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .54 mAssAcHusETTs
Loch Leven Lakes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57 Yellow Loop and Blue Trail . . . . . . . . 158
Sentinel Dome . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .59
mArYlAnd
Ernie Maxwell Scenic Trail. . . . . . . . . .62
Sunrise Trail to Summit . . . . . . . . . . 160
colorAdo Canyon Loop Trail . . . . . . . . . . . . . 163
Montville Nature Trail and Mosca Pass. . .65
mIcHIGAn
Ouray Perimeter Trail . . . . . . . . . . . .67
Lower Falls Trail . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 172
Dawson’s Butte Ranch Open Space Trail .70
Dune Climb . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 174
Columbine Trail. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .73
mInnEsoTA
connEcTIcuT
Oberg Mountain Loop . . . . . . . . . . . 176
Bluff Point Trail . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .86
Richard T. Anderson Trail . . . . . . . . . 178
dElAwArE Boundary Waters Canoe
Indian Springs to Hidden Pond Trail . . . .89 Area Wilderness . . . . . . . . . . . . . 180
FlorIdA mIssourI
Cyprus Swamp Trail . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91 Braille Trail . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 183
Black Bear Wilderness. . . . . . . . . . . .94 Gayfeather Trail. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 185
GEorGIA monTAnA
Mountain Top and Mountain View Trails . 104 McDonald Creek Trail . . . . . . . . . . . 187
West Rim Loop. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107 Pine Creek Falls. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 190
River Trail . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109
nEBrAsKA
Canyon Loop Trail . . . . . . . . . . . . . .112
Waterfall Trail. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .200
HAwAII Fontelle Forest . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 202
La Perouse Bay. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .114
nEvAdA
Likeke Falls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .117
Lost Creek Canyon . . . . . . . . . . . . 204
nEw HAmpsHIrE souTH dAKoTA
Flume Gorge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 206 Door, Window, and Notch Trails . . . . . 283
nEw JErsEY TEnnEssEE
Green Loop . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 208 Carver’s Gap to Overmountain Shelter. . 287
Pyramid Mountain to Tripod Rock . . . . .211 Clingman’s Dome. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 290
nEw mExIco TExAs
Jemez Falls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 213 Caprock Canyon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 292
Interdune Boardwalk. . . . . . . . . . . . 215 Monahans Sandhills . . . . . . . . . . . . 294
Tecolote Trail . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 217 Old Baldy Summit . . . . . . . . . . . . . 296
Summit Trail. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 298
nEw YorK
Shelving Rock Falls. . . . . . . . . . . . . 219 uTAH
Black Creek Preserve . . . . . . . . . . . 222 Capitol Gorge Trail to the Tanks . . . . . 310
Moses Mountain Trail. . . . . . . . . . . . 224 Jenny’s Canyon Trail . . . . . . . . . . . . 313
Mashomack Preserve . . . . . . . . . . . 226
vErmonT
Sunset Rock. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 228
Quechee Gorge Dewey Pond Trail . . . . 316
norTH cArolInA
vIrGInIA
Max Patch. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 239
Blackrock Summit . . . . . . . . . . . . . 318
Cat Gap Loop and John Rock Trail. . . . 241
wAsHInGTon
norTH dAKoTA
Second Beach . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 324
Buck Hill Trail and Ridgeline Trail. . . . . 243
Grove of the Patriarchs . . . . . . . . . . 327
oHIo Ape Cave . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 329
Ash Cave Gorge Trail. . . . . . . . . . . . 246 Fall Creek Falls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 332
Osage Orange Trail. . . . . . . . . . . . . 249 Gibbons Creek Wildlife Art Trail . . . . . 334
oKlAHomA vIrGInIA
Elk Mountain Trail. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 252 Big Schloss Trail . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 341
orEGon wEsT vIrGInIA
Heceta Head to Hobbit Trail. . . . . . . . 254 Bald Knob Trail . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 344
Mirror Lake . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 257
wIsconsIn
Trail of Ten Falls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 259
Pike Lake, Kettle Moraine . . . . . . . . . 347
Todd Lake. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 265
Copper Falls Trail, Doughboy Loop. . . . 349
Rowena Crest Plateau . . . . . . . . . . . 262
Parfrey’s Glen Trail . . . . . . . . . . . . . 351
pEnnsYlvAnIA
wYomInG
Tom’s Run Creek . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 274
Taggart Lake . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 354
souTH cArolInA Joyner Ridge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 357
Caw Caw Interpretive Center . . . . . . . 277 Phelps Lake, Woodland Trail . . . . . . . 360
Boardwalk Loop . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 280
c o n t e n t s
Foreword
Hiking is my bliss. For this passion, I thank my mother, who had me trun-
dling on trails as a toddler. By the age of 9, I was signed up as a member of the
local mountaineering club. Living in the Pacific Northwest, we hiked coastlines
and rivers, mountains and glaciers. There were afternoon strolls on the beach,
challenging day hikes to craggy peaks, and backpacking trips to alpine lakes.
Perhaps no surprise, then, I sought out a profession that would take me on
outdoor adventures to amazing places. Eventually, I settled on dinosaur pale-
ontologist.
Today, in my midfifties, I still crave the trail. If I don’t make time for regular
hikes in beautiful places, my wife, Toni, sends me outside to rediscover my
nature connection (and become a little more human). These days, while on
my nature jaunts, I see all too few babies and toddlers—or kids of any age, for
that matter. Even walking in my local neighborhood, I’m more likely to come
across squirrels than children.
The statistics back up my anecdotal observations. The average American
child now spends 7 to 10 hours each day gazing at screens, compared with a
handful of minutes playing outdoors. Digital technologies cannot shoulder all
the blame here. As parents, we tend to hold deep fears of “stranger danger”
(even though child abductions by strangers occur no more frequently now
than in the 1950s or 1960s). We also tend to overschedule our children, leav-
ing them precious little time for that all-important unstructured “free” play.
This indoor migration over the past generation has been at least partially re-
sponsible for skyrocketing rates of such health conditions as childhood obesity,
attention deficit disorder, diabetes, and depression. Some health profession-
als make dire predictions that this generation of children could be the first in
recorded history to have life expectancies shorter than those of their parents.
In response to the trend toward “domesticating” kids, a growing movement
has emerged aimed at “rewilding” childhood. In countries all over the world,
we see more and more initiatives emerging around forest preschools, nature-
based learning, family nature clubs, and the like.
8 hike it BaBy
Yet, for all our recent efforts to reconnect kids with nature, babies and tod-
dlers are often—even typically—left out of the mix. I find this omission an odd
one. My connection with nature began well before my earliest memory (my
mother used to say “in the womb”). Yet, despite the documented health ben-
efits, parents often don’t think of the natural world as a place to delight and
engage their offspring.
Far too often these days, children reach the middle years (6 to 11 years old)
with minimal outdoor experience. For these kids, usually with senses numbed
by years of screen time, nature is boring—the place where nothing happens.
Yet, those of us who remember free-range childhoods tell a different story, with
evenings and weekends spent playing tag, climbing trees, and kicking cans.
No, the time to begin connecting kids to nature is at birth (or, if you follow
my mother’s example, even before that). If you are a parent or grandparent
faced with a crying, inconsolable baby, try stepping outside. Often just the
feel of the breeze or the wonder of falling leaves or a starlit night is all that’s
required to calm a young soul.
Anyone who has spent time with babies knows that they are astoundingly
curious. Now imagine how a baby or toddler perceives the world while rid-
ing in a backpack on a trail. So many sights, sounds, smells, and feelings to
stimulate the senses!
___
I first met Shanti Hodges in Denver’s City Park. She and I had communicated
via e-mail but had never met in person. Shanti informed me that she would be
in Denver for a “Hike it Baby” walk around Denver’s largest park, adjacent to
where I was working. She kindly invited me to join in.
When I arrived, a group of moms, dads, and youngsters was already gather-
ing. The adults held steaming beverages and wore broad, open smiles. Some
of the wide-eyed babies and toddlers sat perched in backpacks. Others were
safely nestled in a stroller and ready to roll. And a few others were steadfastly
determined to start off, however unsteadily, on foot. There was a buzz in the
air as the grown-ups chatted excitedly.
Shanti emerged from the group wearing one of those beaming smiles. She
shook my hand and immediately followed it with a hug. It was easy to tell that
there was something special about this woman. She was clearly one of those
people about whom the term “force of nature” is aptly applied. Shanti intro-
duced me to her son, Mason, too distracted by the smorgasbord of sights and
sounds to pay much attention to me.
foreword 9