August 28 - 30, 2016 – Backpacking in Denali State Park! (Part 2)

Kadin and I went on a 3 day, 2 night backpacking trip up Troublesome Creek trail in Denali State Park.  We might have only gone a few miles each day, but we had a great time shwacking through the ferns and tall grasses, setting up camp, and eating yummy food.

Pre-planning yummy and easy meals was key!  Kadin really wanted to "help" with the cooking and lighting of the stove.  Meal times were probably the most dangerous part of the whole trip!

And we're off.  My hiking pole was a perfect size for him when it was fully collapsed.  He insisted on it any time he was hiking on the trail. 

Needless to say, it was slow going.  Kadin can walk pretty fast, but is distracting every 20 seconds by neat things along the way… birds, leaves, twigs, the river, etc…  I think he is pointing out the river in this photo.

I tried to wipe his face a bit before heading into bear country, but obviously wasn't too successful.  I certainly did get it clean before bed though! 

He usually started the day hiking, then ended up in the carrier.  Then out of the carrier to walk 5 feet, then up, up up.  Then out, out, out.  Over and over.  Here, we just got into our camp for the night.

A river with lots of rocks and sticks on the shore was a perfect distraction for him as I unpacked and set up the tent.
And it was just a few yards away, with a shallow section, so I didn't have to be too worried (still watched him like a hawk though!).

I think he looks like my brother Mark in this photo!  Something about the expression on his face reminds me of one of Mark's baby photos.

And here he is just adorable smiley Mr. Kadin.  Love you.

Ha!  Not just a bear-proof canister… it's Kadin proof too!  Drove him nuts, trying to get to all the snack and lunch foods!

That's my sleep pad he's playing with.  I went super light weight for this trip since I had an extra 30 pounds of Kadin plus his diapers and clothes, 2 sleeping bags, and of course, his Curious George and a book for bedtime.

Kadin found this bee first, and somehow it landed on my hand.  After a summer of swatting mosquitoes, he tries to swat or stomp on any type of insect, and I have to tell him these are our friends.  Amiga, Kadin, la abeja es nuestra amiga.  

Kadin is such a helper and after breakfast at our second camp, where there is no river nearby, he runs over right away to help me break down the tent in the morning. ;-) 

And then, it was time to relax and have some snacks.  I mean, it's been at least 1/2 hour since he's eaten.  Of course he's hungry!

Our last day hiking and Kadin finally is able to nap despite the constant bear calling.  It took him 3 days to get used to me hollering out every few minutes.  He'd say, "No!" and I'd explain that we have to say hi to all the animals as we hike so we don't scare them as we pass through.  He'd still say, "No!" every time I called.

The whole hike was forested and the trail was often overgrown and narrow like this section here, so it was a bit tough for Kadin to hike sometimes, but it was overall a big success.

And the link, if you can't watch the video in the blog:

https://youtu.be/pFwsYuhUnxI

July 15 - 21, 2015 - 1 year and 1 week

I am now switching to weekly posts…

Here are a few more shots from our trip into the Talkeetna Mountains.  We only spent one night out in the tent as the next night was forecasted crazy heavy rain and wind.  It still rained on us, but just intermittent showers, and sure enough, that next night, we could here the horizontal rain pounding the walls of the "nubbin" cabin.

Summary of the trip:  Kadin loves the tundra, especially the blueberries.  He also knows to crawl into the tent when it starts raining!

Kadin scans the tundra.

The next day, chilling during a break before heading to the nubbin, which is on the top of the hill in the background.

June 19, 2015 - 11 Months, 5 Days Old

It's so nice to wake up in the morning seeing the beautiful big Alaskan sky and the hills that go on and on forever.  We all enjoyed a mellow morning breaking down camp and heading back to town.

Good morning beautiful world!

Relaxing morning, enjoying the sunshine and good company.

Kadin loves being at the controls in Danial's plane — let's go flying! 

On a side note, today was the first time he realized we were up high in the sky and on take off he actually got nervous and clung to me and avoided being by the window.  So fascinating how they learn things… must be from all the climbing up our ladder!  On the flight home, he was much calmer.

May 7, 2015 - 9 Months, 23 Days Old

Leisurely morning wake-up, as Kadin stretches in his little peapod sleeping bag (thanks Mom, for the dual purpose Halloween costume!). 

Hanging out in the tent, listening to raindrops outside, Kadin sports his WMI outfit in perfect style.