An Adventurous easy 4 km Hike....

On Family Day weekend in BC we decided to once again venture out into the woods. We decided to tackle a short 4 km hike to Admirality Point in Belcarra which is about an hour and a half drive from our apartment. Learning how to hike at the pace of a toddler can be a humbling experience. You really learn how to take in each tree, branch and rock because if you just worry about your destination you are left frustrated by your slow pace. However seeing the wonder and excitement in Etta's eyes as she basks in the glory of the natural world is a learning experience. 

All packed up and ready to go on a short hiking trip. The day started and Etta was ready for an hour walking around the house yelling 'outside... outside...outside...' until we were finally ready to go.

After an hour nap in the car on our way to the hike Etta was hungry for cheese. Snack time, diaper change and 30 minutes later we are off. 

On the way to Admirality point Etta lasted about 5 minutes in this carrier. She was not impressed about being cooped up after having been in the car for the last hour and a half. 

Out of the carrier and she is a happy exploring machine. A few minutes after she is out of the carrier and only 10 minutes into our hike we get to a bridge. All she can do is point in awe at the running water that is flowing beneath the bridge. 

One of the stops along the way.... A snack break after this little girl finished a km of hiking by herself. That km took about 45 minutes to complete.

Cam showing Etta the view. 

Hiking at the pace of a toddler gives you alot of time to notice nature and its beauty.

One of the many look outs on the hike. 

Exploring a look out point.

After the first 1.5 km we are impatient parents and start carrying Etta in our arms on the hike. 

Our destination! An hour and half 2 km hike. 

Determined to climb up the rock by herself. 

The rest of the pictures are a phtotoshoot of our destination. We have no pictures from heading back to the car. This is because the 2 km that took us an hour on a half on the way to our destination only took us about 15 minutes on our way back to the car. My hope is this little hiker will continue to love going for hikes even though it sometimes takes alot of patience from mom and dad.

Running while Pregnant: Mountain Madness

As I mentioned briefly in my last post I announced that baby #2 is on the way. We are so excited for this new addition to our family (and of course a little nervous). I'm sure our first adventure will be taking on the intense challenge of packing up two kids, making it out of the house and trying to find time for a shower.

Here is a little background information:  I started training for a half trail marathon early August. I had been running before August but I had recently increased my average run to 8 km. During that time I was making sure to run 10-15 km once a week. I had tons of energy and was finally feeling like myself again. Early September I definitely could have run that half marathon. Unfortunately my race was not until October 25th.

Running through Stanley Park!

That is when.....BOOM!!! 2 lines appear on the pee stick and I found out I was pregnant. It was all starting to make sense. Mid September I had been feeling more tired, hungry and nauseous when we did the grouse grind hike with friends and then I was taking an hour to complete a 4 km run. 4 km!!! How was I supposed to complete the half marathon when I could not even complete 4 km!!!

I am going to preface my next paragraphs by saying we are extremely happy for this new addition. Albeit a little worried on what we should name our Blog and future adventures.

Practicing incline by doing the Grind!

Decided to tackle the grind one more time chaperoning the Softball academy where I teach! 

Have you ever had anything in your life that makes you feel like you are not the person that you were? Pregnancy does this to me. It takes away my desire to do physical activity, makes me sick, tired and grumpy. Now add in full time work, trying to love and care for Etta (and Cam) this race just seemed like it was not going to happen.

Etta getting a  little break after a long nap along the seawall in Vancouver!

 Cam said to me "Annika you can still do the half marathon, you can totally do it. Just run as much as you can,walk when you have to etc etc." For many days I looked at Cam and said "I will try..." When really I was thinking 'you try ruining while feeling like at any moment, the trail you are running on could turn into last night's dinner.' Eventually I looked at Cam and said "Stop saying I can do this. It's not motivating.  I am a sick, tired and a grumpy pregnant woman that is supposed to run a half marathon? That seems like a recipe for disaster." Then I said... "Let's do the 10 km instead!"

Started to love running because of the inspiration of this guy and his good friend Ravi running the 60km trail race

The day of the race Cam's parents looked after Etta. It was so nice to know that Etta would have a blast with her Grandparents while Cam and I were having a blast in the mountains.

Etta with the grandparents!

I was so excited to have time with Cam in the mountains without having to worry about Etta. It was so much fun soaking in the mountain air. We were lucky to have our friend Kate join us who has done an Iron Man! We took it so slow that I could not believe that she decided to stay with us. Sometimes though its just about enjoying  nature with friends and that is all that matters. But seriously we went so slow that I came in 4th last with Cam, Kate and a John Do coming in behind. However... I did not care.

I completed the race. First 10km race!!

Breathing in the fresh mountain air and enjoying something I love was incredible. As much as I love my two children it felt great to do something for myself and feel like me again. I felt I lost a little bit of myself during pregnancy and motherhood that it felt great to regain some of myself as I dive into my second pregnancy.

My little babe and I enjoying this moment together.

Winter Hiking with a baby

Winter is here!! More so in places like Alberta and Saskatchewan but you can find snow up on the North Shore and Whistler Mountain has opened up early for skiing and snowboarding. I thought I would do a quick post on winter hiking with a baby. Last year we took Etta on this hike. It was a sunny day in Vancouver and not too cold. We headed to the mountains with our gear and found snow to our surprise. It was very cold.

 Luckily we had enough clothing for Etta. I remember talking with a friend and saying how I was worried that I would not make sure I had everything for Etta on trips. My friend responded saying that you will most likely forget the clothing for yourself instead. This is what happened on this hiking trip. I was wearing light leggings and a thin jacket. To top it off I was freezing and grumpy because I thought we were doing a nice fall hike NOT in the snow. We almost left because I was such a grump. Luckily.....

Cam gave me his shorts to cover from the wind and he just wore his long johns. I also wore Etta to hold her heat in. We started on the hike as I huffed carrying Etta. I then realize I was doing what so many people do as soon as it gets cold and turned into a grinch. After a few minutes to myself I sucked up my Grinchy Spirit and looked around. It was a beautiful winter wonderland. It was time to enjoy the surroundings in my over sized shorts and jacket.

Breastfeeding while hiking

I realized I have not posted in a while and thought I would do a brief post on hiking and breastfeeding. 

One of the main advantages is that if the baby is not on solids yet you just bring your boob! So convenient. A disadvantage can be the weather. I remember breastfeeding Etta while snowshoeing with some friends and I felt like my nipple was going to become cryogenically frozen. Besides keeping the boob young it is very uncomfortable. 

On a softer note I never thought that I would be someone who would EVER post a picture of myself breastfeeding. However I came across this picture and in a funny way wanted to share a moment between a mother and daughter. Maybe its because I am considering weaning my daughter off the breast or maybe it is because I am pregnant and thinking about the new baby. Whatever the reason Etta and I were able to enjoy connecting with nature all during a lunchtime break. It felt very natural and very special.

Hiking with a baby part 3: Lower Falls Trail (Golden Ears Provincial Park)

A great 2.7 km hike/walk along a wide gravel trail. The Lower Falls Trail in Golden Ears Provincial Park is located right near Maple Ridge. We did this trail when we were camping with my parents in Golden Ears.

 A few bonuses are that :

- A toddler could complete this trail or at least walk part of the way.

- Stroller friendly which means you could use it as a trail run with baby!

 Another great feature about this hike is that there is river access about halfway where you can skip rocks. We stopped for lunch and a breastfeeding session. We saw tons of kids throwing rock after rock in the river.

 Talk about Nature's Playgym!

3 generations on the trail!

Enjoying the outdoors!

Car Camping: packing list for baby

I was just thinking about how nice it would be to have a baby car camping packing list. This list can also be slightly adjust for short trips away from home. Since it is car camping it has less items than a luxurious trip but more items than a backpacking trip.

Here are things that I bring camping for Etta. This packing list is for 3-5 days. The only difference between going for 3 days vs 5 days would be the number of diapers I would bring which of course is more for 5 days. Lets also say the weather does not dip below 10 degrees even at night! You could use this list for any trips away from home but might want to adjust the number of cute outfits.

Most people might think that to go camping with a baby you need an SUV. In one camping trip we packed all our gear for 3 adults, Cam, myself and our good friend Ravi as well as Etta and all her gear in our Toyota Matrix which is a hatchback. We have a roof rack and a box to carry extra things. If we choose to bring our Coogar Chariot running stroller we attach it to our roof rack.

Roof Rack with our chariot and box on top!

Clothes:
- 4 short sleeved onesies
- 3 long sleeved onesies
- 3 sleepers
- 3 pairs socks (Can be used for toes and hands!)
- 3 sweat/stretchy pants (Two to play in and one to go over clothes at night if its cold)
- 3 t-shirts
- 3 long sleeved shirts (Two to play in and one to go over clothes at night if its cold)
- 2 cute outfits (obviously not a necessity but they are so small and easy to pack anyways!)
- 2 bunny hugs AKA hoodies (I am a Saskatchewanian)
- 1 fleece outfit (make sure it folds over hands and feet to keep warm especially when sleeping)
- 1 muddy buddy (to protect against rainy weather for older babies)
- 1 carrier cover (protect against the cold, rain and snow) for younger babies
- Toque (in case it gets colder)
- a pair of slippers (We love the Padraig booties for warmth or leather shoes)
- Shoes (If she is walking have one pair that she can walk around if its wet outside)

Etta in her newborn Columbia fleece outfit. 

Etta in her warm MEC fleece outfit, toque and Padraig booties

Sleeping:
- Sleeping bed (See "8 Unique Travel Beds" post for ideas!!)
- sleep sac
- Comfort blanket
- Optional: We pack 3 extra blankets to cover our sleeping bed (see below). That way we get to sleep a little longer in the morning because it blocks the light out.
- Husk her Husky dog she sleeps and plays with ALL the time!!

We are currently using the 'Nomad' tent seen here in our big 'Glamping' tent for Etta to sleep. 

Poos, Pees and everything diaper related
- 9-10 diapers a day (If they are a newborn I would go for 13 diapers a day)
- Zinc (For potential bum rashes. Etta would always develop a bum rash camping)
- Vaseline
- Wipes
- Two bags that hold dirty cloths from baby blow outs! You can buy some at baby stores that keep the smell within the bag.
- 3 garbage bags (Especially handy if garbage is not nearby)

Food
If your baby has not started solids and you are breastfeeding than you have nothing to worry about as long as you go on the trip as well! This made camping when Etta was 4 weeks old really easy. If you are formula feeding make sure to bring enough plus a little extra for the trip. I know formula does not keep for too long especially without a fridge so factor that in when camping. Make sure to bring a few bottles because sterilizing while camping will take a little longer than usual.

If your baby has started solids here are a few ideas!

Solids
Breakfast ideas: Toast, Steel oats (precooked), Instant Oatmeal or Baby Cereal with pear
(To be really easy one time I just used a baby cereal cookie. This was also great when traveling in the car to go camping.)
Snack ideas: Leftover pear from breakfast,  banana, blueberries, cookie,
Lunch: avocado, strawberries, leftover rice, falafel balls (I like the ones from Costco)
Dinner: Kabobs over the grill, soups, lentils and rice with added water, sweet potatoes or carrots boiled , or packaged baby food. I really like the brands 'Ella's Kitchen' and most recently on Dragon's Den 'Love Child'. Really any food packages that you squeeze out are really easy to use and at least nice to have a few on hand.

Utensils etc

2 spoons
1 fork
2x Sippy cup
bowl
2x bibs

No spill snack container

Two containers with lids 

Lunch kit

Luxury Item
Portable highchair. We never brought one along because we do not own one. I have always thought that it would be great to feed Etta in a highchair and also have another place to put her while car camping.

Medication/First Aid:
- Tylenol
- Camillia (Boiron Natural Teething product is what I prefer)
- Coxyntal (Boiron natural tummy soothing product)
- Benedryl (Just in case you have an allergic reaction and you need time to get to a hospital)
- Thermometer

Toys

- Husk her husky stuffed animal

- 2-3 bedtime books

That is all. I find Etta loves playing with all the sticks and stones that we do not need to bring much else.

Etta with her little Husky Dog!

Activity gear

- carrier for hiking 

 We like the an actual hiking backpack carrier for bigger hikes and as Etta has gotten older. We like the Ergo carrier for shorter hikes and when she was younger.

Any other ideas?

 Do you have food suggestions for camping or other suggestions for sleeping? I would love to hear any tips that you have come across!

Hiking with Children Part 2: The Chief

Is there anything that you could do before you were pregnant that you are unable to do because of exhaustion after your baby was born? Well I was not able to do the same amount of activity while I was pregnant and then it took me about a year to gain my fitness back. Hiking the Chief was one of those milestones on my way to regaining my fitness. 

A view of the Chief from Squamish.

A short but somewhat grueling hike that Cam and I used to love to do before we had Etta was the Stawamus Chief in Squamish. Squamish is one of our favourite places because it is close to both Vancouver and Whistler with tons outdoor activities right out your backdoor. Not to mention that it is both in the mountains and on the ocean. The view of the Howe Sound on top of The Chief is breathtaking and as soon as I felt that I was in shape enough after giving birth to Etta we decided to tackle the Chief with Etta. 

*There are three peaks on The Chief. Without Etta we tackled all three peaks in roughly the same time we tackled one of the peaks with Etta.

The thing with The Chief is that the first peak is only 1.5 km hike but it has an incline of 540 metres over those 1.5 km (i.e. it is steep!).

Gearing up to climb up a bunch of stairs at the start of the hike. 

You climb up ladders and use chains to get you up steep portions. By the time I was finished the hike I was more out of breath and a little light headed. I had never experienced this from hiking the Chief before. It just goes to show how tough it can be to get back into hiking shape after having a kid.


The ladder. Etta is strapped to Cam on the front.



Getting ready to climb the chain

The Chain

As Cam was taking Etta up and down the chain and the ladder I said to him "are you ok? do you need help?" He said he was "Fine" but was just trying to keep me from stressing out. Once we finished decending all the chains he said to me "That was a little stressful".

The views at the top!

What I love about trails in Squamish is that you pass so many people with kids. A couple with a 10 year old and a 7 year old passed us and said 'I remember doing this hike when these guys were that little." It is just so normal to bring kids into the outdoors in Squamish! I love it!!!


I was proud of myself for completing this hike. It was the most I had exerted myself since Etta was born.