Trip Overview
Big Basin is becoming my go-to spot for a quick weekend escape, and I wanted to share it with my two oldest children. Our planned hike was a 18ish mile loop starting at the visitor center, down to the Alder camp site for the first night, back up to the Sunset camp site for the second night, and then back to the start. I had originally planned a Lane/Sunset loop, but the campsites weren't available when I tried to reserve them about two weeks out. The camp sites were $15 a night, and the parking permit was $10. We completed most of the hike in two days in the beginning of March 2019.
Preparation
I was getting a little stir-crazy being cooped up in the house over the Winter, so I decided that I would take a trip with my oldest son and daughter. I greatly enjoyed my last trip to Big Basin and thought it would be a great place for my daughter's first backpacking adventure. Redwoods are always a hit, right?
I used my trusty Osprey Atmos 65, and the kids each used inexpensive Amazon/Walmart packs. My pack was actually pretty full because I tried to keep my daughter's pack as light as possible for her first hike, probably around 10 pounds of mostly water. Our accommodations were my LanShan ultralight two man tent and various sleeping bags. I hiked in my Ultra Lone Peak 3.0, and I bought new shoes for the kids, some New Balance trail runners for my son and some Amazon hiking boots for my daughter.
Food was standard except for the goodies I brought just for the kids: Oreos, Oreo candy bars, Pringles, etc. A week before the trip, I packed the bags for a two mile test run that went well. The kids were moderately hyped and had no idea that two solid days of water torture awaited them.
Weather
The forecast for the weekend was suboptimal. Temperatures were fine, but rain was forecasted for much of the weekend. In hindsight, I was far too optimistic about the projected amount of rain and incorrectly relying on forecasts from the nearest weather station, which were completely wrong possibly due to vastly different micro-climates. It rained WAY more than I was expecting.
Difficulty
The trail conditions were mostly okay and clear. There were a few spots with fallen debris that were likely caused by recent storms, but the real issue was the muddy conditions. Even though I was able to keep my feet from getting completely drenched for the most part, the damp conditions were oppressive and from what I've read, somewhat typical of March in Big Basin.
The Hike - Day 1
We started the day full of energy and hope. I had warned the kids it would be rainy, and all seemed well as we pulled into the lot and started gearing up. The kids put on their rain jackets, and I shuffle into a shitty poncho and wish I would have just spent $10 on another decent rain jacket. It is a little misty as we set off, but the rain doesn't seem so bad in our initial excitement of being on the trail. My daughter is feeling great and entertains us with games and stories as we walk.
The initial excitement fades quickly though because the start is all uphill and the rain begins to soak in. The friendly chatter stops, and the kids become silent so I know things are turning South. I encourage them with promises of majestic views and downhill trails, but they are not buying what I am selling. I begin to doubt whether this trip is a good idea because the silence is morphing into muttering.
Despite the continued rain, the kids are troopers and continue to put one foot in front of the other. The rain is light but persistent, and the trail is wet but mostly not soggy. My daughter gets tired of wearing the rain pants, which she will regret later, and strikes a pose on a boulder. Moral is diminished but not yet completely gone.
When we get about halfway through, the kids are in outright mutiny. We have a conversation about turning back, but I convince them to go on because going back to the car would take just as long as going to the campsite. I promise that it will be warm and cozy in the tent. The kids are sure to let me know that I am (1) subjecting them to torture and (2) an idiot for not paying close enough attention to the weather forecast. I find their arguments to be exaggerated, but I sympathize with their sentiment because I am having similar thoughts in my own head.
We stop for lunch at Berry Creek Falls and muster our collective will to finish these last few miles strong. Turns out I am the only one hungry, and my kids can't be bothered to eat or appreciate the waterfall. We head South and are quickly stopped by the high waters of the creek. The water is so high that the metal crossings are submerged, and my mind churns as I weigh our options. The kids are NOT happy about the idea of removing our shoes and fording across, so I decide to skip the Alder camp site and turn around and head to Sunset camp for the night. It is supposedly fully reserved, but I have to just assume that at least one person cancelled their trip because of the weather.
Things really go bad when we start to travel uphill again. My son is mostly silent but his gaze is pure death, and my daughter is delivering an almost constant litany of complaints and despair. I can do nothing other than accept their judgment and promise that things will be better as soon as we arrive at camp. The only other highlight of the day are the ridiculous number of salamanders running around in the rain.
As we neared the top and Silver Falls, my daughter is really struggling with the uphill. I had already transferred most of the gear from her pack to mine, and I let her latch onto my pack so I could mule her up the hill as best as I could. She is completely losing it at this point.
We finally make it to the top early in the afternoon. The kids are done with walking, and I can't get the tent up fast enough so that they can get out of the rain. The kids get into the tent and, other than bathroom breaks, do not leave until the next morning when it is time to leave. My son brought pajamas, so he was able to change and get nice and dry. My daughter did not, which the kids are sure to remind me is my fault for not packing enough, and she's less than happy about not having dry clothes to change into. We are at least able to get out of our wet gear and crawl into our bags.
The stay in the tent is actually very pleasant in comparison to walking in the rain. We eat dinner and just chill in the tent and try to dry out our clothes as much as possible. Unfortunately, it is humid as hell so our clothes just go from soaked to slightly less soaked during the night.
I'm bummed that I was unable to pass along a love for backpacking to my kids on this trip. They both are adamant that they will never camp with me again, but I'm hopeful they'll come around eventually. Despite the less than ideal conditions and hardship, I thought it was a good trip and probably taught the kids a few lessons about adversity, which I suppose is part of a dad's job. I still have two kids that have never been backpacking, and I am definitely going to make sure the weather is a lot nicer for those trips.
Despite the continued rain, the kids are troopers and continue to put one foot in front of the other. The rain is light but persistent, and the trail is wet but mostly not soggy. My daughter gets tired of wearing the rain pants, which she will regret later, and strikes a pose on a boulder. Moral is diminished but not yet completely gone.
The stay in the tent is actually very pleasant in comparison to walking in the rain. We eat dinner and just chill in the tent and try to dry out our clothes as much as possible. Unfortunately, it is humid as hell so our clothes just go from soaked to slightly less soaked during the night.
The Hike - Day 2
My new sleeping pad is way comfier (Nemo - Astro Insulated Lite), so I wake up feeling pretty refreshed. It is still raining, but we plan to wait it out because the forecast said that the chance of rain should go down throughout the day. The kids are feeling better about the trip now, especially since we've decided to cut things a day short and head back to the car.
Around 9 the rain has eased up a little, and we get back on the trail. It is still damp and foggy, but we are excited about the prospects of getting home and dry. There are a still plenty of salamanders on the trail, and we discover a new friend, a banana slug!
My son has elected to hike in his pajamas since they are dry, and he is getting a lot of compliments about the pizza print. Overall, the Sunset Trail seems less muddy, probably because it is used less, and the hike goes by relatively quickly with little drama. An early highlight are some rocks with carvings. Of course, my kids immediately find a prominent penis to chortle about.
Sunset Trail doesn't have a lot of Redwoods, but the views are nice. It also has some beautiful, I think, Pacific Mandrones that catch the eye. It is nice to see the kids enjoying themselves more, but I can tell the shadow of the previous day is still in the back of their minds. Whenever it starts to rain a little, my son expresses his frustration at the ongoing bullshit weather. Thankfully, the rain is intermittent and the highlights are pretty frequent.
I promise my kids they can have all the junk food they want once we get back to headquarters, so we are cruising pretty nicely for the last couple miles. I somehow get a little mixed up on the trails though and lead us on a half mile detour. My son's disappointment at this knows no bounds. We eventually do make it though, and the kids gorge themselves on candy and soda. I'm feeling pretty done with the whole hiking thing too, so I let them sit with the gear while I go fetch the car. We made it!
Epilogue
I'm bummed that I was unable to pass along a love for backpacking to my kids on this trip. They both are adamant that they will never camp with me again, but I'm hopeful they'll come around eventually. Despite the less than ideal conditions and hardship, I thought it was a good trip and probably taught the kids a few lessons about adversity, which I suppose is part of a dad's job. I still have two kids that have never been backpacking, and I am definitely going to make sure the weather is a lot nicer for those trips.
