I think the title of this blog says it all, Tynan hiked Bears Hump all on his own last weekend. This hiking mama couldn’t have been more proud! My parents were in town visiting and wanted to do the iconic Waterton hike. While it’s short (0.9 miles each way) it is tough and quite the climb!
Kid Hiking Hacks
I went into this with him as prepared as possible. I had my baby carrier to strap him onto my back when he couldn’t go any longer, a bladder full of water, a bag full of candy, and the expectations that this would be a slow hike.
I would point out a tree, rock, or other marker on the trail ahead and tell Ty he could get another candy when he reached that marker. We stopped and rested every time he asked, even if it was within a couple minutes of our last rest. I praised him constantly as he stepped up these huge stone steps with those little legs. And I would constantly point out scenery on the way.
As we got closer the top, Ty’s pride himself started showing. He knew he was doing something hard all on his own. He started calling himself the “hiker man” and he strutted along on any flat parts swinging those elbows proudly.
Peak Pride
It was so cool to see how proud he was when we reached the top. Bears Hump is iconic for a reason, the views are insane! We only stayed at the top for a short while because Ty was antsy to start the hike down to show me how good he could hike.
Hikes this steep are actually harder on the way down than up because of the effort to maintain your balance. We took more breaks on the way down than we did on the way up. And we were within sight of the parking lot when Ty said he was tired and didn’t want to hike anymore.
Overall it was a great day and I’m already planning our next short but fun hike to do together!
