Distance: 4 mi.
Elevation Gain: 600 ft.
I can see you wondering, “How could a 4 mile RT backpacking trip be a super amazing adventure?” Let me tell you, it’s because this was our first time backpacking with our almost-2 year old. And by inviting our friends Brandon, Kara and their toddler N, we decided to double down on the potential for tantrums. But luckily all went better than expected.
We started at the West Fork Foss River trailhead at 10:30 AM. The lot was full but we were able to park a few hundred feet back on the side of the road. We started out with the toddlers actually hiking, and they did great! By the halfway point their interest was starting to flag, so Brandon ingeniously became the “trail fairy/troll” bearing tasty hidden fruit stacks accompanied by rhymes. By the time we reached the bridge crossing the West Foss Fork River (currently dry), the kids were ready to be carried for the last half mile, which was a steeper incline. We reached Trout Lake at noon. After several misadventures trying to get the kids to nap, we set up camp and walked down to the lake shore. There were several nice spots along the lake, and even though the trail overall was quite busy, this particular backpacking spot was understandably less popular.
Craig and Brandon did some fly fishing while the kids slept (Craig did catch a trout but it was too small to keep), and then the kids enjoyed splashing in the shallow lakeshore for quite a while before playing with cars at the campsite. The beach was at least partly shaded throughout the afternoon, and the campsite was fully shaded. There were minimal bugs.
The crux of the trip was keeping the kids away from our enticing jetboil flames while we made couscous and ramen for dinner. By the time the sun went down, the kids were more or less ready to sleep in the tents. We enjoyed some conversation by lamplight and walked to the lake to ogle the stars before joining them. Amazingly, both kids slept great. Adults slept so-so.
The next morning we enjoyed a slow morning before heading back to the trailhead. T wasn’t very interested in hiking on the way out, but N went at least halfway on his own. We reached the TH at 11 AM, intending to meet up for lunch in Skykomish, but both kids almost immediately passed out hard. Overall, this was a huge success and yes, an amazingly awesome adventure!
(Download the free Gaia GPS app on your phone to view tracks and then get a Gaia GPS membership if you want offline access. Discount below!)
Recommended brew: Bombastic Brewing Murder Imperial Stout (ETA: why did Craig choose this??)
Gear:
- Backpacking tent
- Bear canister
- Fishing pole
- GPS
- Overnight packs + one Carrier pack
- Sleeping pad
- Summer sleeping bag
- Stove
- Trail runners
- Trekking poles
- Water filter
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