Author Archives: Craig
A Trip Up Rainier »
Posted on June 26, 2012At 14,411′, Mt. Rainer is one of the five tallest peaks in the lower 48 states. Even more stunning is its location in an amazing national park with easy access. Our adventure to Mt. Rainier National Park was a last minute decision made partly because of an easy flight from Denver to Seattle. Upon arriving in Seattle we rented an SUV and loaded up on supplies at the original REI store in downtown Seattle before embarking on the two hour drive to Mt. Rainer NP’s southwest entrance.
You know you are in climbing country when you arrive in the small town of Ashford just outside the park. There you will find several climbing outfitters, the biggest being RMI, mountaineering shops, and fellow climbers loaded down with heavy backpacks. To contact RMI visit their website www.rmiguides.com. To summit Rainer you have two options. Either book a guided trip way in advance with an outfitter or climb by yourself. Should you choose the unguided option, proper glacier experience and training is necessary. Training courses are available from the outfitters as well. You may also obtain all permits ahead of time (they are only needed to ascend above the Camp Muir base camp located at 10,000 ft.) or pick them up at the ranger station within the park (reservations are recommended).
In our case, glacier training was a problem. We haven’t been trained to climb alone, but had no reserved spots on a guided trip. We put our names on cancellation list with RMI in hopes that other climbers might not show, giving us a chance at the summit. After camping and hiking in the park for a few days we decided to get permits for the Camp Muir shelter and make the trip on our own since nothing opened up at RMI. It’s an easy drive through the park to the Paradise Visitor Center at 4836′. There is a parking lot for climbers and the ranger station has all the maps you might need for shorter hikes or the hike to Muir. Learn more about MRNP by visiting their website, www.nps.gov/mora.
The hike itself is almost entirely on glaciers and snow so boots with crampons are a great idea. While the hike to Muir is only 4.65 miles, it’s uphill and strenuous. The views are spectacular and you feel like you are on Everest as you watch the hiker’s up above you. There is a staircase of steps in the snow for the steepest parts of the trail, created by the many rope teams of mountaineers walking single file. While Alex made it to camp in five hours, it took me an additional two; most of which was spent taking 50 steps and then stopping for a 50 count breather.
As you’ll see in the video, Camp Muir will give you a taste of what it’s like to climb Denali or Everest. The camp has an air of success and ambition as well as apprehension. Bottom line as adventures go, it’s just plain cool!
A Camp Above the Clouds »
Posted on June 26, 2012Finally, after six hours climbing a staircase carved into the side of Mt. Rainier, I made it to Camp Muir, the main launching station for those trying to summit the peak. As I came over the final crest at 10,080’, I could see the stone ranger station and sleeping hut. As I came up the steps, I felt exhilarated (despite my total exhaustion) as I looked out upon the rows of colorful tents and flags spread across the giant glacier field in front of me. It was everything I imagined it would be. When I finally found Alex, who had been waiting and resting in the sun, I discovered one more visual treat: the site of Alex’s CU Buff flag flying in the wind above our sleeping hut.
While resting, your first impression of Camp Muir is shaped by the clouds below you and the long vistas out to the ocean and at the south base of Mt. Rainer. Unlike Colorado, where mountains are stacked up together in huge groups, Mr. Rainer and the surrounding peaks like Mt. Hood and Mt. Baker are volcanic peaks which literally shoot right out of the low plains surrounding them.
After a short rest, we walked around and took in the other experiences which Camp Muir offers. You can meet climbers who come into camp in the mid afternoon following their 2:00 am trek to the top and are taking a quick rest before heading down. In the large glacial bowl, you can watch the groups practicing their ice climbing skills and getting ready for their early morning attempt. Or, as in our case, you can meet people who came up to have an amazing day hike and are heading down that afternoon.
An addition that made our trip more convenient and fun was staying in the public hut which has bunks for about 20 mountaineers following the rule: First in time, first in right. The shelter also has an indoor ventilated cooking area for your camp stove. In addition to warmth from the cold night air and the sounds of falling rock throughout the night, we got to enjoy the warmth of other climbers who had plenty of stories to share (as well as food to trade) about their experience on the mountain. Our favorite was the father and thirteen year old son pair who were gearing up to leave at two and then camp out on an eastern snow field about three quarters the way to the summit. They were then planning on doing the summit the next evening. Talk about an AdventrueDad!
The final treat of our stay at Camp Muir was seeing a helicopter fly in to drop of supplies and hall out trash and propane canisters from the ranger station. As you learn at the base ranger station, everything that comes up the mountain must come down. That meant that we had to take our CU flag along with us for our quick descent down the mountain.
Trails Connecting Families »
Posted on June 1, 2012I recently found out about your website via Twitter and was thoroughly impressed by your mission and your enthusiasm. It didn’t hurt that you were wearing a CU Buffs shirt. (-:
It sounds like you and I have had similar experiences when it comes to sharing our passion with our children. Every year since my daughter was born, I took her up to Montana to visit my family. Shortly after she turned one, we took a slight detour into Idaho for a biking adventure. We met my dad, who was in his late sixties at the time, and rode the Route of the Hiawatha bike trail. Of course my daughter was in a bike trailer for the trip, but I was worried that she would get scared when we biked through the long tunnels. As it turns out, she absolutely loved the tunnels and would start crying when we came out into the sunlight.
We had so much fun on the Idaho trip, that I started looking around for similar trails. I was told that there were a whole series of these things called rail-trails around the country. But back in the 1990s, I had a heck of a time finding information about family biking trails. The internet was starting to fill up with information about wild-and-crazy mountain biking trails and bike races and road rides. But I had a tough time finding good, long family trails. If the rumors were true, they were out there, but it was difficult finding information about them.
So I started collecting snippets of trail information from newspapers and magazines. Friends and family members sent me information in care packages and emails. Pretty soon I had a stack of folders filled with trail information, so I decided to start a website. It was my network of trails on the internet, and I called it Trailsnet.com. Since then, I have traveled all over the country riding trails and sharing them on Trailsnet.com. Sometimes I was able to take my daughter with me, and other times I scouted the trails on my own. But I was always on the lookout for trails that could be ridden by Dads, Moms, kids, and grandparents. At the time, I was a teacher and sponsor of a middle school mountain bike club in Boulder, CO, so I would throw in the occasional mountain bike trail, but most of my trails were focused on family fun and accessibility.
Nowadays, I continue to add trails to Trailsnet.com, but I’ve opened it up so others can add trails, too. Even though the family focus is still important to me, I love it when people add any kind of trail. I’ve even started catering to trails for those folks who enjoy navigating personal transportation vehicles such as recumbents, Trikkes, Elliptigos, inline skates, etc. There is no longer a lack of trail websites out there, but Trailsnet.com is the only one that started as a family-friendly trail site. While the other sites still seem to think the only types of bikers are mountain bikers and road bikers, Trailsnet realizes there are cruisers, electric cycles, hybrids, urban cycles, tandems, recumbents and more. And, in addition to hikers and backpackers, there are trail runners, snowshoers, cross-country skiers, and mobility- impaired trail users.
So what started out as a dad/daughter/grandfather trip, turned into a lifelong passion. From the time when my daughter was an infant, we have enjoyed getting out on trails together. That was always our special dad and daughter time. I hope that other parents learn the joys of exploring trails with their children, as I did. It’s healthy, it’s environmentally friendly, it’s a great time for bonding, but most of all, it’s a lot of fun.
Happy trails!!
Kevin Purdy
Louisville, CO
www.trailsnet.com
kevin@trailsnet.com
www.facebook.com/trailsnet
http://twitter.com/trailsnet
7 Father’s Day Traditions »
Posted on June 14, 2012Check out the Denver Post’s recent article by Amber Johnson, editor of www.MileHighMamas.com, on the humble role played by a father. Johnson refers to a piece written by Knippenberg for www.MileHighMamas.com. He gives great advice on his 7 favorite and affordable Father’s Day traditions. The article is available at www.denverpost.com. For more in-depth discussion of his tips, or to get other outstanding ideas from Craig, feel free to comment on this post or contact AdventureDad.org! Have a great Father’s Day, dads. And remember that althought the 17th is named after you, without your kids it wouldn’t be as special.
Family Fitness with Laird Hamilton »
Posted on June 17, 2012Surfer Laird Hamilton wrote a piece in the July issue of Men’s Journal titled Radical Fitness. While you might think it’s an article about the latest trend in working out which only elite athletes are even remotely capable of, the picture of him in a plank position with his two young daughters riding on top of him lets you know instantly where the story is headed.
In a section titled The Family Way, Laird talks about how his most exhausting and fun workouts are with his kids. Jumping on the trampoline, shooting hoops, wrestling and pool time leave him and his girls happy, fit and ready for a good night’s sleep. When he’s looking for extra conditioning, he does push-ups with 70 lbs of girls giggling on his back.
So, next time you are thinking of plunking down money for a gym membership, maybe look at the interactive training systems right in your own home. If your kids aren’t up for fun, look for your four legged friend as a training partner. Check out our story, Puppy Workouts, for a suggestion!
NCAA Road Trip! »
Posted on March 24, 2012I’ve always enjoyed the solitude and freedom that comes from a long road trip. No more so than when my son is my travel companion. Many a time we have had new learning experiences as well as deeper connections as we ventured down new roads. Doing a spontaneous trip always seems to add some extra excitement as well.
So, on Saturday morning, I asked Alex if he would like to drive to Albuquerque, NM to watch the CU Buffaloes play their second game in the NCAA Men’s College Basketball Tournament. “Hell Yes!” was his response and I could feel the excitement and joy of the prospects grow inside of me.
Following a rocket trip down and some fun joking about romantic high school relationships, we were treated to a pregame celebration when we arrived at “The Pit” on the campus of NM University. Already decked out in CU wear, we added to our costumes at the alumni event including a black and gold shamrock for St. Patrick’s Day.
The venue was perfect for college basketball and we found ourselves surrounded by extremely loud CU students. While the outcome of the game was disappointing, we were treated to a back and forth game with lots of screaming and high fives. Most inspiring was the way the fans continued to clap, cheer and sing for ten minutes after the game in honor of how far the team had advanced.
Sunday morning was equally enjoyable as we took the long way home through Santa Fe and the long road up the San Luis Valley. Along the way, we stopped at one of Alex’s favorite restaurants since he was a little boy. Just North of Santa Fe, Gabriel’s offers guacamole made tableside and served up in a volcanic bowl.
On a fun and economic level, Alex mastered the fuel efficiency of a Prius, arriving home with a 52-mpg average. While he has yet to select a University, many a student told him they hoped to “see you at CU” next year!
Infant Adventures »
Posted on February 3, 2012Here’s another entry for our Winter Contest. You will have to get started pretty early if
you are going o beat Phil and the camping adventure he took with his 5 month
old daughter! Thanks Phil and many happy adventures.
Hey Craig,
Just came across you site via you following me on Twitter. Fantastic site!
Well my family adventure this winter was taking my 5 month old daughter on her
first winter camping excursion; we had booked a yurt on Mew Lake in Algonquin
Provincial Park. The weather was pretty lousy as it was raining and
unfortunately we had the yurt rented 5 months in advance, but we were going to
make the best of it. We did manage to get a small hike in and then just
enjoyed the noise of the rain on the yurt. She was having a blast in the
sleeping bag as it appeared to be a new sensation for her and all she was doing
was kicking it off and waiting for us to put the sleeping bag back on her so
she can kick it off. A great introduction and many more adventures with the
little one in the future.
Phil C. http://www.TeamCassell.com
Every Parents Fear »
Posted on January 15, 2012it was no doubt totaled. Something, I had never heard of or would have thought of.
truck. We got a good settlement and will now have to find a new vehicle for adventures to come. Does anyone have a Jeep for sale?
Puppy Workouts »
Posted on January 15, 2012our 4 month old puppy. You’ll also hear some great tips from her trainer about how to involve the whole family in yourworkouts. While Allie’s weight is now near
the threshold as a work out tool, any of you with smaller canine companions
could do this for many years to come.
Two Hidden Beers »
Posted on January 8, 2012that he’s taught his dad to “chill”. Well done PJ!