My oldest daughter left the house shortly after the Crack of Dawn this morning to go on a seven mile hike with a couple of her friends. The hike itself, while a bit challenging, doesn’t bother me. I know KT can handle that with no problems. The part that sets my Frantic Mama Meter going is that the hike is somewhere in the middle of the Olympic Peninsula.
This means that today they will be driving, taking a ferry, driving some more, stopping for permits, driving, then finally parking the car. Naturally, the parking area isn’t very close to the trail, so my daughter will hike with a borrowed backpack and (borrowed equipment) to find a place they where they can pitch a tent and camp near the trail they want to hike.
Despite the fact that we aren’t exactly a gung-ho outdoorsy family, KT has done some camping. When she was younger she and her sister used to go camping with their dad with the Indian Princesses. I used to tease them that they were doing wimpy camping. After all, they were staying in heated cabins with all the meals and activities prepared for them.
I, with my Girl Scout camp training certificate in hand, was a real camper. Our troop slept on the hard, cold ground in tents, burnt our own food and managed to entertain ourselves. Although, now that I think of it, we were in a safely monitored camp-ground, had running water, real bathrooms and a heated camp house we could hang out in if we felt the need.
Still, despite the wimpy camping experiences that KT has had, I’m (mostly) sure she’ll be ok. After all, one of her friends spent two weeks camping in the Alaskan wilderness last summer and the other one is a big burly guy with lots of outdoor experience as well.
No, the thing that bothers me the most about this whole trip is that they had to get bear cans to keep their food safe. My over-imaginative brain keeps screaming “GIVE THE BEARS YOUR FOOD!” After all, the only thing left for them to eat is my sweet baby.
I can tell it’s going to be a long three or four days until she arrives safely home from her seven mile hike…
Happy Trails, my girl, happy trails…
I’d be worrying right along with you!
Thanks Kathy!
hi, susie~
what fun!
i am sure that KT will be safe and have a wonderful experience!
sounds like she has good companions that will keep her safe.
and you will enjoy hearing of her adventures upon her return home!
hope you have a great day…
xoxo, terry
That’s exactly what the rational side of me is saying. We won’t talk about the other side of me!
Your daughter sounds like my son’s kind of girl!
It’s hard the first time, but I’m a veteran of a 10-day incommunicado trip to Yellowstone–you do get used to it. And really, it’s much less worrisome than if you had to try and hunt them down in a crack den!
Ten days? Ack!
Good point about the crack den.
I’d be worried too…it’s a mom’s job! I prefer my camping in an RV now, but I’ve done my share of Girl Scout camping and sleeping on dirt floors of tents…
when I was younger…
much younger…
It’s funny how some things lose their appeal over time…
Oh, to be young and adventurous again!
I don’t think I was even that adventurous when I was young!
I’m not a mom and I’m still freaking out. Bears!! Oh Gosh, I’d panic. You have one brave daughter.
Thanks for stopping by my blog today :-).
It’s her 2nd night out…and pouring rain, now I worry about bears and getting sopping wet!
I was never a girl scout, but I WAS an Indian Maiden! Cayuga tribe. And my brother was in Indian Guides.
Huh, I have no idea what tribe they were, or that they even had tribes…I’ll have to ask about that!
It sounds so lovely. I miss hiking. Popped in from Lady Bloggers to say hi!
It sounds so lovely. I miss hiking. Popped in from Lady Bloggers to say hi!
~ ~ ~ ~ shivers