Читать книгу One Night Wilderness: Portland. Top Backcountry Getaways Within Three Hours of the City онлайн

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• How much leeway and independence you give your children depends on their ages and ability to follow instructions. But even the most responsible youngsters may at times stray too far from camp when searching for huckleberries, chasing a squirrel, or engaging in some other equally distracting activity. To help combat this problem, all children should carry a whistle, preferably on a necklace, that they have been instructed to blow if (and only if) they become lost.

Tadpole watching at Rush Creek, Indian Heaven Wilderness (ssss1)

photo by Douglas Lorain

Your choice of backpacking location is especially crucial when traveling with young hikers. Unlike adults, children are rarely impressed by great views and invariably complain about steep climbs. (To be fair, adults often complain about steep climbs as well.) This book includes dozens of backpacking trips that are especially well suited to children. Identified both in the ssss1 and by icons on the first page of each individual hike, these trips are relatively short, involve less elevation gain, and include plenty of the things that youngsters love—splashing creeks, wildlife, berries, lakes to explore, and the like.