Has anyone here ever

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#1

Hiked successfully with a teenaged daughter? My 4 year old is enthralled with the idea of the AT. I haev started her out overnight camping at Lapham peak and along the ice age trail here in SE wisconsin. She says by the time I’m ready to hike the AT she wants to go too. She’ll be 13 at my proprosed date of departure (it’ll take that long, believe me). I know how fickle teenage girls are, but I want to know if its even realistic to THINK about?

She even has a trail name picked out aleady…awww…“Weejee.” I wanted to call her weewee because of her persistent habit of weeweeing on her shoes when we’re out, but she did not think that was so great.

Anyway…I too am enthralled witht he idea of doign what I love for 6 or 7 months at a time, but I’ve always gone alone. I’m 27 and have at least 15 years of hiking and campign under my belt, but never in the mountains and never for so long.

Any encouragement or NEW words of warning (I know about the bears, ticks, weirdos, dogs and microorganisms already) are appreciated.

Thanks

Julie

#2

My 23-year-old son (trailname Fiddler) took two of his younger siblings with him for parts of his thru-hike this year. Our 12-year-old son was with him from mid-March through the end of May (700+ miles) and our 10-year-old daughter was with him for for 130+ miles in June. Now that they’ve had a taste of long distance hiking, they are in the midst of designing equipment and working out the logistics of a thru-hike for the three of us for 2003, or even possibly 2002! There is a woman named Laura Gingerich (trail name Mother Goose) who hiked this year with her two sons (Rocket and Little Rocket). If you visit the message boards at the new Trailplace.com site you could ask her questions about her experience. She’s already answered questions for me about stoves and cooking and two-way radios and a bunch of other Mom specific things–really cool lady.

Martha

#3

nm=no message > :slight_smile:

Julie

#4

We were right behind the 'Rockets for most of our thru hike this year and let me tell you, kids have no problem going the distance. They tend to be more adaptable the we “old folks” are. We were with in four days of catching them but when they started pulling twenty plus mile days after Harpers Ferry it was TTFN from us. We also met the Family From The North who had youngsters and they were all rosey cheeked and having fun. It’s important to remember to set small goals and make it fun. An all day grind to town in the sleet is rough for an adult no less a teen. There are bound to be some lows with the highs. You just need to be sympathetic to his/her limits of endurance and patients. It’ll come with time and it will be one of the best experiences of her life. Best of luck from the CMC.

Bushwhack