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January 2008 - Posts
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A few weekends ago, I was walking with the kids on an icy trail in Yosemite National Park. After spending most of my life hiking, walking, and playing in snow, even helping a Mountain Rescue Team gain national certification in snow and Ice rescue a couple of times, I completely failed to recognize the risk associated with carrying my two year old on this simple Class I trail.
Photo Credit: LinBow via Flickr.com
The problem started with a slip. Instinctively, my arms spread out to regain balance. Unfortunately Meghan, our two year old, did the very same thing at the very same time. She fell from my shoulders and I was helpless to intervene. I felt awful.
The most painful part of this (once I knew that Meghan was OK) was the sting to my pride. I've been on mountaineering trips above 14000 feet, I have rigged systems on vertical walls, hiked up icy chutes, slept in the snow, and rappelled down frozen cliffs. How could I drop my kid on a flat trail?
I have seen numerous accidents that have occurred because somebody was overconfident and let their guard down. Meghan could have been seriously injured and it would have been my fault because I did just that.
While doing some web surfing this morning, I found that the American Academy of Pediatrics has published a list of winter safety tips. Obviously, from personal experience, it never hurts to re-calibrate what you would consider common sense.
The list is below, a special thanks to Stacey Stryer for pointing this out.
From the American Academy of Pediatrics: Winter Safety Tips:
What to Wear
- Dress infants and children warmly for outdoor activities. Several thin layers will keep them dry and warm. Clothing for children should consist of thermal long johns, turtlenecks, one or two shirts, pants, sweater, coat, warm socks, boots, gloves or mittens, and a hat.
- The rule of thumb for older babies and young children is to dress them in one more layer of clothing than an adult would wear in the same conditions.
- Blankets, quilts, pillows, sheepskins and other loose bedding may contribute to Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) and should be kept out of an infant's sleeping environment. Sleep clothing like one-piece sleepers is preferred.
- If a blanket must be used to keep a sleeping infant warm, it should be tucked in around the crib mattress, reaching only as far as your baby's chest, so the infant's face is less likely to become covered by bedding.
Hypothermia
- Hypothermia develops when a child's temperature falls below normal due to exposure to cold. It often happens when a youngster is playing outdoors in extremely cold weather without wearing proper clothing.
- As hypothermia sets in, the child may shiver and become lethargic and clumsy. His speech may become slurred and his body temperature will decline.
- If you suspect your child is hypothermic, call 911 at once. Until help arrives, take the child indoors, remove any wet clothing, and wrap him in blankets or warm clothes.
Frostbite
- Frostbite happens when the skin and outer tissues become frozen. This condition tends to happen on extremities like the fingers, toes, ears and nose. They may become pale, gray and blistered. At the same time, the child may complain that her skin burns or has become numb.
- If frostbite occurs, bring the child indoors and place the frostbitten parts of her body in warm (not hot) water. 104° Fahrenheit (about the temperature of most hot tubs) is recommended. Warm washcloths may be applied to frostbitten nose, ears and lips.
- Do not rub the frozen areas.
- After a few minutes, dry and cover him with clothing or blankets. Give him something warm to drink.
- If the numbness continues for more than a few minutes, call your doctor.
Winter Health
- If your child suffers from winter nosebleeds, try using a cold air humidifier in the child's room at night. Saline nose drops may help keep tissues moist. If bleeding is severe or recurrent, consult your pediatrician.
- Many pediatricians feel that bathing two or three times a week is enough for an infant's first year. More frequent baths may dry out the skin, especially during the winter.
- Cold weather does not cause colds or flu. But the viruses that cause colds and flu tend to be more common in the winter, when children are in school and are in closer contact with each other. Frequent hand washing and teaching your child to sneeze or cough into the bend of her elbow may help reduce the spread of colds and flu.
- Children between the ages of 6 and 59 months should get the influenza vaccine to reduce their risk of catching the flu.
Winter Sports and Activities
Set reasonable time limits on outdoor play to prevent frostbite. Have children come inside periodically to warm up.
Ice Skating
- Allow children to skate only on approved surfaces. Check for signs posted by local police or recreation departments, or call your local police department to find out which areas have been approved.
- Advise your child to: skate in the same direction as the crowd; avoid darting across the ice; never skate alone; not chew gum or eat candy while skating.
- Consider having your child wear a helmet while ice skating.
Sledding
- Keep sledders away from motor vehicles.
- Children should be supervised while sledding.
- Keep young children separated from older children.
- Sledding feet first or sitting up, instead of lying down head-first, may prevent head injuries.
- Consider having your child wear a helmet while sledding.
- Use steerable sleds, not snow disks or inner tubes.
- Sleds should be structurally sound and free of sharp edges and splinters, and the steering mechanism should be well lubricated.
- Sled slopes should be free of obstructions like trees or fences, be covered in snow not ice, not be too steep (slope of less than 30º), and end with a flat runoff.
- Avoid sledding in crowded areas.
Snow Skiing and Snowboarding
- Children should be taught to ski or snowboard by a qualified instructor in a program designed for children.
- Never ski or snowboard alone.
- Young children should always be supervised by an adult. Older children's need for adult supervision depends on their maturity and skill. If older children are not with an adult, they should always at least be accompanied by a friend.
- The AAP recommends that children under age 7 not snowboard.
- Consider wearing a helmet.
- Equipment should fit the child. Skiers should wear safety bindings that are adjusted at least every year. Snowboarders should wear gloves with built-in wrist guards.
- Slopes should fit the ability and experience of the skier or snowboarder. Avoid crowded slopes.
- Avoid skiing in areas with trees and other obstacles.
Snowmobiling
- The AAP recommends that children under age 16 not operate snowmobiles and that children under age 6 never ride on snowmobiles.
- Do not use a snowmobile to pull a sled or skiers.
- Wear goggles and a safety helmet approved for use on motorized vehicles like motorcycles.
- Travel at safe speeds.
- Never use alcohol or other drugs before or during snowmobiling.
- Never snowmobile alone or at night.
- Stay on marked trails, away from roads, water, railroads and pedestrians.
Sun Protection
The sun's rays can still cause sunburn in the winter, especially when they reflect off snow. Make sure to cover your child's exposed skin with sunscreen.
Fire Protection
Winter is a time when household fires occur. It is a good time to remember to:
- Buy and install smoke alarms on every floor of your home
- Test smoke alarms monthly
- Practice fire drills with your children
American Academy of Pediatrics, 11/07
SafeKids, 11/105
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It has been almost a year since I wrote the first post on Trailmix.Net. It seems that every day I learn something new about what Trailmix.Net should be and what needs to be done to get it there. I have been thinking lately about the foundation of Trailmix.Net. Specifically, if I had to distill the ideas of Trailmix.Net down to their most simple form, what would those Ideas be?
After a fair amount of reflection on where we have been, and some examination of where we want to go, I would say that all of Trailmix.Net boils down to three simple things:
1) Family Outdoor Recreation:
This is the idea that spending time with children in an outdoor setting is fundamentally important. It provides a healthy alternative, even if it is just temporary, to the fast paced world that we live in.
2) Outdoor Education and E-Learning:
This idea is about helping fellow parents understand how to safely enjoy outdoor recreation and how to teach children about the natural sciences. In 2007 we began to build our portfolio of e-learning seminars and in 2008 we will expand it.
3) Exploration:
Children are naturally curious and it is the responsibility of parents to feed that curiosity to develop lifelong learners. Of the three Trailmix.Net principals, this is my favorite because this is the action step.
So these are the three fundamental ideas. Over the course of the next year I am looking forward to building upon what we have established at Trailmix.Net. This is done not just by adding to the content, but also getting to know those who have expressed interest in this blog, our newsletter, and the products we are building.
As a final note, I am very curious to know what readers of this blog think about these ideas. Please feel free to leave a comment or send me an e-mail.
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Last week our family was visiting Lower Yosemite Falls and within the span of several minutes we spotted a bobcat and several mule deer. Children love to watch wildlife because it is action scenery. Wildlife pops out from the static surroundings and draws their attention and natural curiosity. If you are planning on some wildlife watching with your kids, here are three tips for a successful outing.
Photo Credit: Shellie Raney via Flickr
Before Going, Do Your Homework
Before your trip, find a field guide and read up on the wildlife that you hope to watch. Our kids seem to really enjoy guides with full color pictures. Draw their attention to species you are likely to see and share the attributes that distinguish one species from another such as field marks, size, and habitat. Understanding the feeding habits and behaviors of your animal subjects will make them easier to find.
Here are some useful online resources that can help:
Wikipedia: You can learn about almost anything here.
Cornell Lab of Ornithology: Bird identification and birding tips.
North American Mammals: From the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History, search by name or map.
When You Start the Expedition, Use the Proper Wildlife Precautions:
If you are traveling in bear or mountain lion habitat and traveling with children, be sure to take the proper precautions. Never feed a wild animal, as this will embolden and could result in a future altercation that might hurt another human and/or the animal.
Here is a list of special precautions published by the California Dept. of Fish and Game:
Bear Precautions
Mountain Lion Precautions
Coyote Precautions
Mule Deer Precautions
When You Spot Your Subject, Maintain a Respectful Viewing Space:
Attempting to touch a wild animal can result in injury to both the animal and the human. If an animal seems nervous, give it some space. Rather than interrupting courtship, nesting, or feeding, invest in some binoculars to help keep a healthy distance between you and your subjects.
Teach your child leave no trace principals and let the wildlife come to you. If you conceal yourself among plants to prevent you or your children from being detected, avoid damaging sensitive plant life in the process. Be considerate of other visitors and avoid using artificial animal calls which have been shown to cause undue stress on some wildlife species. Good luck and happy viewing!
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It's Friday and we're introducing a new feature at Trailmix.Net called the Friday Roundup. Here is the Readers Digest version of our favorite stories this week.
Climbers Rescued on Mt. Hood. Photo Credit: King 5 News
Birding with Kids:
Birdfreak.com produced an introductory guide to birding with children. These guys always seem to read my mind... when I have a question they just know and post the answer. Amazing.
Geyser Cam:
Yellowstone National Park launched the Geyser Cam. You are never going to hear us advocate watching digital outdoors instead of packing up the kids to visit a park, but this site is definitely worth a visit. Click over, pop some corn, and watch Old Faithful erupt.
YNP Scavenger Hunt:
Yosemiteblog.com covered a really cool scavenger hunt program being developed for families visiting Yosemite National Park : ) We love it.
Waterfall Photo:
LittleRedTent.com published an excellent photo of Horsetail Falls in Yosemite National Park.
Buying a New GPSr:
GeocachingOnline.com published a list of features to look for if you are considering purchasing a new GPSr for Geocaching.
The Health Benefits of Geocaching:
Climbers on Mt. Hood were rescued when they found a Geocache that had the cache coordinates noted on the log.
Bobcats in Yosemite:
TreeInTheDoorVideo.com published a video (perhaps) starring the bobcat we saw last weekend near Lower Yosemite Falls.
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You can now watch live streaming video of Old Faithful, Beehive, Lion, or Giantess erupting in Yellowstone National Park
Photo Credit: Mamamusings' via Flickr.com
From the Geyser Cam Site:
Welcome to Yellowstone National Park's first video web cam. This full-motion, live-streaming webcam is located near Old Faithful Geyser and brings online visitors views of several other geysers in the area. When geysers such as Beehive, Lion, or Giantess are erupting, the camera will be aimed at them and zoomed in for optimal viewing enjoyment. When bison, elk, coyotes, or the occasional bear wander into the camera's view, live video images will be transmitted. We hope you enjoy your virtual park experience!
This is really cool. There is also an audio track that orients you to the geysers while waiting for an eruption.
A hat tip to the Outside Blog for pointing this out.
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An article by Judy Keen in USA Today identifies an increasing trend in the theft of relics in US National Parks. Relic thieves range from students that find historical artifacts and save them for further study to black market profiteers looking to make money through online sales.
Photo Credit: Mesa Verde Artifact Gallery
The problem seems to be getting out of control. In two National Military Parks in Virginia 460 holes were dug and Civil War artifacts were taken from the boundaries.
"With a million visitors coming every year, it's very hard to stop," says Mark Gorman, Badlands' chief ranger. "Has it increased over the past few years? Absolutely." Six permanent rangers patrol the park. Last year, they investigated 41 looting reports and made nine arrests. He assumes that represents a fraction of the real number of thefts.
While some of the examples provided in the article are extreme, I can see how it would be easy for a regular visitor (I'm thinking of myself with the kids here) to get caught up in "explorer" mode and actually do great damage with educational intentions.
I suppose that is why it is a good idea to periodically review those Leave no Trace principals.
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On New Years day we loaded up the kids and headed up US Highway 50 toward Lake Tahoe for some hiking in the snow. Our kids were anxious to test out their new snowshoes and Echo Lake provided the perfect environment.
We spent the day at the local snow-park and our four year old was able to use her new Atlas Junior snowshoe on packed snow, deep powder, and some heavy "sierra cement" that was chopped up by other hikers. Her total time in the shoes was about five hours.
Specifications:
The Atlas Juniors (priced at about $50) are about 18 inches long and can support a child up to 80 lbs.
Suspension
After only a couple of minutes of instruction, our four year old was up and running. The aluminum frames seemed light enough for her to lift her feet completely out of the powder. The fixed suspension design also helped with the simplicity. We did test these on a hill and the fixed suspension didn't slow her down at all. For kids, I recommend sticking with this simple design and avoiding the toe-hinge common with adult shoes.
Buckles
The one complaint that I had was that these snowshoes do not have the ratcheting buckles that you can find on some of the other Atlas designs. The Junior does have a plastic clip-buckle, but near the end of the day we found the nylon strap to be slipping (possibly due to moisture). It only took a moment to fix the problem, but I was surprised that Atlas didn't incorporate some of the buckle technology they have developed on the adult shoes that doesn't slip or require you to take your gloves off to adjust.
Footbed
Although she only has a range of about 200 feet, we also purchased a pair of Juniors for our two year old. We expected these to be big on her and were suprised that the adjustable foodbed was actually able to contract to the size of her (very small) foot. She had a little more trouble with maneuvering in the snow, but we attribute that to operator issues and not snowshoe design issues.
All in all, the Atlas Junior is a good product and we would recommend them to any family looking to outfit little feet for snow.
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One outdoor sport that I have recently made an effort to learn more about is birding. Living in Sacramento, we have access to plenty of riparian habitat and some world renowned wildlife refuges nearby. I must confess, although I love to watch birds I have a hard time differentiating one from another.
(Photo Credit: Mike Baird via Flickr.com)
In my effort to learn more about the subject of birding, I have become a regular reader of Birdfreak.com. Recently, they published a guide called "The Birdfreak Guide to Taking Kids Birding" which includes the following list of topics:
- Binocular selection
- Field Guides
- Starting with Feeder Birds
- Keeping the interest going
- Birding in multi-kid mode
- Knowing when to quit
One of the key Trailmix.Net philosophies of hiking with kids is focusing on what we call "Action Scenery". The guide that the folks at Birdfreak.com have put together is a tool that can open up an entirely new world of action scenery through birding.
You can download the guides here:
The Birdfreak Guide to Taking Kids Birding (HTML)
The Birdfreak Guide to Taking Kids Birding (PDF)
Enjoy!
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Regular readers of this blog will know that we are a bunch of geocaching nuts. A couple of weeks ago we were searching the internet for Geocaching blogs. There are some great ones out there, but they aren't always easy to find. We decided to pull the best ones we could find into one place using an RSS aggregator and named the site The Geocache Gazette.
If you have a blog that you would like to add, send me a Private Message from my Trailmix.net profile and I will be happy to add it to the feed list.
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You're driving up Highway 50 to Lake Tahoe for some skiing and the kids are antsy. They want to get to the snow and are requesting minute by minute updates on your progress. If you get tired of the "Are we there yet?" question, have them start looking for Stickman.
Finding Stickman:
Stickman is located on the right side of US 50 when travelling east toward South Lake Tahoe. He lives at about 5300 ft (look for the 5000 ft elevation sign).
Stickman's wardrobe changes frequently. Feel free to stop and visit and compliment him on his attire.
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