Winter warmth? Take a hike!

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Winter Warmth

It’s not even officially spring and the Pacific Northwest was graced with a few sunny and 70 degree days. Crazy! Only a month ago the intense snow storm swept through town. There were still small patches of snow around the neighborhood until now.

Knowing that this weather will not last and April showers will soon arrive, I decided to make the most of the winter warmth. I went to take a hike in the warmth and sunshine. Instead of going to my hot yoga class for exercise, I took our daughter for a hike to Rattlesnake Ledge. Check out this video of our hike from the warm base to the snowy, windy, yet sunny peak!

Child Carrier Comfort

Usually my husband carries our daughter in our hiking child carrier. This was my first longer hike carrying her in our new pack. Oh my gosh! When you have the right equipment, it makes all the difference in the world. A friend gave us an old hiking pack. It was over 15 years old and some of the comfort adjustments no longer worked. We were so grateful, but comfort is key. Our shoulders and back hurt, so we knew we needed a new pack.

As a result, after researching hiking child carrier backpacks, we invested in the Deuter Kid Comfort 111 Hiking Child Carrier. We have been extremely impressed with this pack. It’s incredibly comfortable with the majority of the child’s weight resting on your hips.

Hiking or skiing with a pack

My husband has done most of the carrying so far, including taking our daughter up to the slopes with her in the pack. She loved the experience of skiing on daddy’s back. She is now excited and ready to get on her own skis after watching everyone. She has a little pair of toddler skis Daddy just got her. Skylar now is skiing in the living room in preparation for next year with some training from Daddy.

As for me, I was thrilled with how comfortable I was during our hike. I was able to hike Rattlesnake Ledge without delay, enjoyed the 4 mile hike and the 1160 foot elevation gain all with an extra 30-40 pounds on my back. The Deuter pack is so easy to adjust plus there’s air flow space to reduce sweating.

Happy Toddler

Skylar loves it too. She is safely positioned in the safety straps and it’s comfortable. She has foot stirrups and a head rest cushion. She can nap and rest when she needs a break and I can still hike. Plus it comes with a cute little teddy bear and lots of storage pockets.

Hiking Poles

I also used my hiking poles and am so glad I did. I was wondering why there was a huge pile of tree branch hiking poles at the base of the hike. It was snowy at the top of the hike and a bit slippery. My hiking poles came in handy throughout the hike and made it much more fun.

Nature’s Gifts

Together we enjoyed the sun, the warm breeze, the cooler wind at the top, the snow, touching the trees, saying hi to people and their dogs, embracing nature and unplugging for a while. It’s so soothing for the soul. We snacked at the top. Then at the base I got Skylar out of the pack and she enjoyed the lakeside and rock collecting for a while before we headed home.

A great place to enjoy

Whether you’re flying solo, whether you hike or not, the Rattlesnake Lake area is a great place to enjoy a day outside. You can get your workout on the Rattlesnake Ledge trail, or take a comfortable walk along the lake. Plus you can hang out at the lake and enjoy restrooms and some picnic tables.

We saw a man, his guitar, and his dog enjoy the lakeside the duration of our hike. Peaceful! The kids have lots of run around space and an endless supply of rocks. Our daughter is an avid collector. We always seem to come home with a new rock collection.

And today it’s going to be amazing once again. What winter warmth adventure will we embark on? Take a hike again? What will you do? Even if it’s a lunch break outside, breathe in that warm air! It’s good for our soul, our happiness and our attitude. Enjoy!

Rattlesnake Ledge Hiking
Rattlesnake Lake