@Kato1953 your photos are amazing! Thank you for sharing. I spent some time in the Adirondaks in the spring of 2002 before moving from OH to UT. Mount Marcy and Algonquin were my first peak bagging experiences... fond memories. ... View more

@REI-WendyG , I couldn't agree more with this - " I find we are most successful if we can manage NOT heading home after picking up said kiddos from school / grandma's." It is really easy to stop by the house with a plan to head straight back out, and promptly lose steam at the end of the day.  Unless I already have a place or activity in mind, I definitely include my kiddos in the decision on where to go and what to do. Sometimes, that requires a bit of compromise, but we can usually figure out something everyone is excited to go do. While both of my girls are pretty pleased to be outside doing anyting, one is happier to hike or trail run while the other really enjoys bike rides. We try to balance that, or if both parents are available, work in some one-on-one with each of the kiddos if possible.  Some of our favorite outdoor activities include hiking (including walks around town or in our local national forest), biking, and climbing. Currently, as we try to minimize our potential impact during this time of COVID, we have been spending a lot of time in our yard gardening, IDing plants, bird watching, writing, and reading.   ... View more

@E-Rock this is awesome! We are just now getting our 7-year olds into climbing outside and they have been climbing indoors off an on since they were quite little. The indoor climbing doesn't seem to phase them but there is more of a fear factor with outdoor climbing (especially coming down, as you mentioned). We have found the most success setting up on a nice super mellow route and letting them do laps on it for as long as they are interested. This seems to help build their confidence back up, especially after trying a route that seemed a bit tough for one of the two. We just picked up some Mad Rock Monkeys for them and thus far, they seem to be a win. (Up until now, they have been climbing in regular tennis shoes.)   ... View more

@weashloucks Snacks have been a big key to our success (from good healthy calories to the exciting (less healthy) gummy bears and fruit by the foot). That being said, I think part of the reason my twins have really stuck with it when they could have decided they were over it was how I sold the destination. For example, when they were 4 they summited our local highest peak. We discussed the height, how far of a hike it was, and that for a moment they would be on the tallest point in the county. They seemed to really enjoy that and look forward to reaching this magical spot. For other destinations, we have discussed the wildlife we may be lucky enough to see, such as a higher elevation lake that is inhabited by tiger salamanders and small frogs, or even a moose (on the loose). We will bring little notebooks to draw in as well as sometimes a small toy to snap pictures of in various neat spots along the trail. Hope this helps 🙂 Happy trails!   ... View more

I have a Garmin Fenix 3 and really enjoy tracking my progress and (ideallly) consistency. Once I have gotten into a good habit of getting out for my trail runs, my data helps me to motivate and get back out there, even on days where I might not be feeling it. Not quite as good as an actual running buddy, but it helps. ... View more

I enjoy adventuring with my twin daughters for backpacking trips and day hikes. For trail runs, I am often solo or bring my GSD, Loki. 🙂   ... View more

@Bonfire  Make a nice little fire (if allowable) - read a book, carve fun things (spoon, neat designs into a hiking stick, etc), admire the constellations (bring a star chart), draw or write about your adventures, write letters to folks you have been meaning to visit with (I think many folks still appreciate a good old snail mailed letter). If all else fails, perhaps it's time for sleep 🙂 ... View more

I think anything that gets everyone outside should definitely count 🙂   ... View more

The longest ultra I have done to date is a 50 and I have had the best luck later in the race with lemon Larabars, tailwind, coke, broth, bacon, and potato chips. I am training for a 100 so I will have to get back to you on what works for those later miles 🙂 ... View more