Rocky Mountain National Park Backpack trip with the Boys

What a difference a year makes. O can (almost entirely) walk the 1.9 miles to our reserved campsite so we both get to use real backpacks – no big kid carrier needed!

this year's backpack - 54 lbs with camera gear - what luxury!

last year's backpack - 75-80ish pounds with O - woof!

completely fearless

This trip was lower elevation and warmer than last year's, so we ditched the kids bulky sleeping bags and all slept under two rectangular bags zipped together as a big quilt.

Clothing needs were also minimal: a set of long underwear, rainwear (top and bottom), warm weather shirts and shorts, a fleece jacket each - simple.

as always, we took it slow (about 1 mile per hour)

great trail. occasionally we would get a hit of that extra-wonderful fir forest smell

very hungry elk do this

with the right tent stake, camp had an unusual convenience built right in (don't pound it in very far or it'll never come out)

got stick? wacka-wacka. things little boys do

see-saw. things little boys do

next day's hike in a light rain

O didn't hike the entire way (2.6mi, one way)

watch the stick buster!

lovely forest

Sand Beach Lake. this place confuses me: only young trees within 10 vertical feet of the lake level. lack of nutrients in the sand? old lake level was higher? questions questions...

got hole?

get in hole

Bluebells

a tasty snack back at camp

they stood facing each other and took turns waving their arms and roaring at each other. things little boys do

love these tiny clips 1

love these tiny clips 2

love these tiny clips 3

next day's hike out

TENTniques 1 - wrapping stake cords around the stake

I once hated stakes with small hooks or notches because so many of the tents I've used had web stakeout loops that just weren't held securely. Wind - especially buffeting wind - un-anchored those tents alarmingly easily. When ITW developed the LineLoc3 cord buckle, I adopted it immediately and showed it to every client. it allowed the stake to be positioned so it avoided rocks and generally helped securing tents easily and well. And stakes with notches were much more secure too because you could cinch the tent tight to the stake.
But it wasn't until I thought to do THIS tentnique that the stake notch problem was fully solved (and now I even sell a whole line of DAC stakes with those notches that I once disliked).

Behold progress!

Bonus feature: it also makes it easier to pull out your stakes - no extra loop of cord on the stake required!

Push the stake backwards as you pull up - voila!

Some might want to retie the stake loop to make it bigger. I like a full 3" loop (left below). A smaller loop (1 1/2 - 2" on right) works fine for small stakes but bigger stakes are much easier to wrap with a big loop.