Newborn + Outdoor Lovers = Backyard Camping Trial

So my wife and I had a discussion the other day about our newborn son, Anson. To say the two of us enjoy the outdoors is an understatement, for sure, so when the topic of Anson's ability to go camping came up, we knew we needed to figure out a plan to get him outdoors for his first overnight camping trip- and soon.

We decided that although we're both good planners and we've yet to have a "bad" camping experience, or maybe because of those things, we needed to do a dry-run with the little one before heading out 50 miles from home only to find that it just wouldn't work. We settled on a spot very familiar to us and one that would lend itself to trial and error; our backyard!

One night after work I rushed home, picked up all the landmines from Jake & Graham that had accumulated in the grass, mowed the lawn short, and got the camping gear ready. I have a pretty good system in place for gathering camping gear, so after the yardwork was done I made quick work of setting up our campsite. We didn't need much; a tent, sleeping pads and bags, flashlights, our normal pillows from inside (just like car camping!), and the dog beds. After about 30 minutes or so the camp was ready for business, and just in time too as the sun was quickly setting. We tried our best to simulate the real camping experience we'd soon have with Anson by setting a few rules:

1- Anson cannot go inside the house until at least 7 a.m.
2- Neither parent can go inside the house to do anything but retrieve forgotten items (like extra clothes or water) or use the restroom.
3- The dogs must stay outside until 7 a.m. also, but they should be vigorously exercised before getting in the tent.
4- If these rules are broken, the camping trip will be considered a failure and we will not go camping until a backyard overnight is successfully completed.

Knowing what we had at stake, Claire & I prepared for the night by thinking about how to do things a little differently in a tent than we'd been doing in our home for the previous two months. For starters, breast feeding wouldn't be as easy because Claire would be doing it with a headlamp on. Secondly, she wouldn't have the luxury of having a headboard to lean against while sitting up with Anson, either. For both Claire & I there was the lack of separation between the little one and the dogs, and finally there was the dilemma of clothing for Anson. How do you ensure that a baby stays warm enough on a camping trip?

That question was answered soon enough by this superb find at a local thrift store:

As you can see it's far too big. We paid $4 for it. No one complained.

After making sure we had everything; diapers, diaper covers, wipes, extra rags for spit-up, extra cothes for all, water bottles, camera, and all the above-mentioned items, we headed out the door of our house and into the wild expanse of our backyard. A quick four seconds later (BEST HIKE EVER!) we arrived at camp and plodded into the tent.

The dogs found their side of the sleeping area and Claire & I laid Anson between us on the other side. He looked quite a bit like Ralphie from A Christmas Story in his little snow suit but not one of us in that tent cared, so long as he was sleeping. I'm happy to report that Anson did splendidly in his temporary bedroom and by 8 a.m. the next morning he'd only awaken twice to feed, and both times slept again quickly thereafter. Our campground became noisier and nosier as the sun rose, bringing with it the hustle and bustle of the neighborhood getting off to work and school. We didn't mind too much, though- we'd survived together in the tent and could now celebrate our successful camping trip!

Now the next question...where will we take Anson for his first real camping trip? Any ideas? I'd love to hear them. Write a comment below and leave a suggestion!

Mountain Biking Goodness

Hanging out at the top of the ridge

So two of my buddies came along with me tonight for a mountain bike outing near Eugene and I've got to say; it was GREAT! I hadn't been out mountain biking for about 3 months so I was eager to get back on my Iron Horse (that's really the brand, I'm not joking) and head out into the wooded hills.

Scott

Kohl

My friends Scott & Kohl have been outdoor enthusiasts for their whole lives and share my need to get out of town and explore all that makes Oregon so great. Today we drove a quick thirty minutes to a semi-secret spot and had a blast bombing down trails and huffing up hills. Graham dog and Jake dog both joined us as well. We parked the car at the trailhead about 6 p.m. or so and headed up, up, up to the top of the ridge where we were to ride. After about a mile, we came across a fresh clear-cut that offered our first vista, and with the sunshine-filled view came the wildflowers, wild irises being the most prevalent among them.

Wild Iris lining the road

On we continued, making quick motions along the singletrack trail and making sure not to run into the dogs as they weaved in and out amongst our tires. Jake tends to like being in the lead, but this usually proves problematic after about a mile or so when he tires slightly and slows down. Graham will happily fall in two or three deep and observe a tire at his nose and another at his tail. All that dog between all those moving wheels seems dangerous to the outside world, but we have all proven ourselves thus-far to be a fluid caravan. Thus-far.

Kohl learns how to water Jake & Graham

             The evening came on as we traveled, changing the light overhead slightly and gently reminding us that we'd have to come back down soon enough, destined for Eugene and our partners and families once more. We relished the ride, took plenty of breaks to witness the views and enjoyed one another's company. Around 7:30 p.m., after about 7 or 8 miles of riding, we called it a night and drove back to town. All said, a great ride with some great buddies.

5k Challenge update: 26% finished!!!!!

Well, April 5th rolled around and brought Claire and I an expected surprise: our son, Anson, was born at 10:03 a.m. two weeks ago Tuesday! I had of course known for quite a while that a baby was on the way to our home, but was unsure as to what that would mean in regard to this blog and more specifically my 5k Challenge.

That being the case, I say now to all those who have uttered the words, "you won't finish" or "we'll see about that" in regard to my completion of this challenge with a baby in the house, "WATCH THIS!" I am a remarkably stubborn person, to a fault for sure, but that stubbornness can lead me to do some pretty awesome things. Those things include running 74 more 5ks in 2011.

I don't know that the runs will be as easy as they have been and that they're likely to become more difficult. I can only imagine with less sleep that they will be harder to start and harder to keep my normal pace, but the pace isn't the point. The point, as it always has been, is simply to run 100 5ks this year. I ran a really nice 5k today (more on that in the next paragraphs) and wondered aloud to the doggers if we'd be able to get out with such regularity in the coming months. This of course depends on my fortitude along with my wife's blessing, both of which are required for most everything I do in life as it is.

About that run I mentioned earlier: it was one of the best I've had in a while! My wife and the newborn were trying to take a nap at home and the dogs weren't having it. To alleviate stress for all of us, I decided a run was in order for the dogs and I. I took Graham dog and Jake dog to Dorris Ranch and found the parking lot empty when we arrived. It usually takes foul weather or an odd time of day to ensure that there isn't anyone else at this particular park, and today I had both factors working for me.

I checked the clock on the car before I shut the door and noticed that it was 6:25 p.m. I headed off down the gravel road to start the loop, Graham and Jake running circles around me and one another. Graham stopped briefly to sniff a few clumps of grass, no doubt getting subtle signals from other dogs who'd visited the same spot before. As we entered the main trail, the dogs and I turned on the afterburners and picked up the pace. I was determined to make good time today, despite forgetting my iPod (shame!) at home.

The run was quick and clean (as in straightforward and even; it WAS muddy. The lack of music and people allowed my mind to work on one thing and one thing only- my breathing. We made great time, stopping on occasion to take in a view of the Willamette River, observe an open meadow, or to let the dogs fetch a stick in the canal.

Running back toward the car, Graham and Jake could sense the speed I was trying to maintain and quickened their pace to match mine. The three of us huffed and puffed our way up the last 100 yards or so and stopped the makeshift timer at 6:52! I was very happy with the result of our efforts and rewarded the dogs with an extra long belly rub.

Arriving home, I found my lovely bride well-rested and preparing dinner. Days like this make me think that this challenge really will work, and it's for the best as well. Anson greeted his smelly dad and the smelly dogs and life went on. To be continued...

Snow Day Adventure

Graham, Jake, & I went up Wednesday afternoon to play in the snow and enjoy the winter season. The weather at the house was quite odd yesterday, as it went from rain to snow, back to rain again, then more snow, then just blustery, on and on in period of about 5 hours. By noon, the snow had fallen so hard and steadily that it stuck, but only for a few minutes. We left Springfield after quite a bit of procrastination (I had planned on going up with my brother Lee but he was unable to come along at the last minute) and headed east of town, toward the Cascades and the Santiam Pass.

Soon after getting on the road, the snow returned again, this time with a vengeance. The fact that it wasn't sticking made me feel more confident, as I knew I would be driving about 60 miles in order to reach the area where I wanted to go. Usually, the snow level is far above the elevation of Eugene/Springfield, but yesterday was an exception as it crept down to about 500 feet.

We made great time up to McKenzie Bridge, about 50 miles upriver from my house. The snow was now stuck to the Douglas Firs that lined the highway and the road was becoming more slick. Here's a video to show the snow as it appeared there:

After stopping for Jo-jos at the gas station in McKenzie Bridge, the dogs were getting pretty antsy. They always seem to know when it's the type of trip that's for them, like yesterday was, versus the types of trips where we are really trying to log the miles and get somewhere. The road continued to get more and more sketchy as we went up toward the Santiam Pass, and I knew at some point I was going to have to chain up. Tire chains aren't the easiest things to put on your tires, if nothing else then for the fact that you are going to have to get dirty and/or wet to attach them to your tires. It is a fact of life though in mountainous areas- to have a safe trip (and at times to avoid a traffic ticket) you must use them.

We went to our usual SnoPark this time, reasons why being time and road conditions. I determined that yes, the snow would be deeper at a higher elevation, but it wasn't worth me spending an extra hour driving the VERY snowy road to access the summit of the pass. We pulled into Ikenick SnoPark at two o'clock and I was quick to put on my snowshoes. It was snowing a lot when I arrived, and the parking lot already had about 10 inches of snow in it. Walking around without gaiters and snowshoes would have been foolish, to say the least:

The dogs quickly found their bathroom spots and we got out of the parking lot, exploring around nearby in the trees for things to crawl around, over, and through. The snow was deep for me, up to my mid-thigh, and the dogs would have been swimming if the water in these woods wasn't frozen. I took too many photos to illustrate this point, but here are a few of my favorites:

Graham & Jake blazing the trail

Graham being Graham

Jake exploring the snowy woods

The dogs and I ran about for nearly an hour, taking a break to remove my soft-shell but otherwise zigzagging all over the hillside exploring. It was a truly enjoyable experience, and I would love to go again soon. Hopefully next time Claire will join me :)

It's the little things in life that make me happy.