For his 9th birthday, Dominic asked to do a backpacking trip on the A.T. in lieu of a party.
We chose to hike from the Weverton Cliffs parking lot to the Ed Garvey shelter (about 3.5 miles) where we pitched our tent for the night. Even though the whole expedition lasted less than 24 hours, we had a fun time and made a core memory as a family. It was the right choice to keep the distance short; there was no complaining and no-one arrived at camp exhausted.
Day 1: Weverton Cliffs parking lot to Ed Garvey shelter (3.4 miles)
All smiles as we set off from Weverton Cliffs parking lot.The side trail to the lookout at Weverton Cliffs is a worthy excursion. The view is fantastic.At Weverton Cliffs lookout. The boys fairly race up the hills now, leaving Mom and Dad in the dust.View over the Potomac River, with mountains L-R: Short Hill tract, Loudoun Heights, and Maryland Heights.Owen doodled in his nature journal as we went.Leaf rubbing in Owen’s journal.An Eastern Box Turtle on the Appalachian Trail.Our home for the night. A 15(?)-year old GoLite Shangri-La pyramid shelter.Dinnertime at the Ed Garvey shelter.The upturned tree became the boys’ basecamp.Our tent with the Ed Garvey shelter in the background.
Day 2: Ed Garvey shelter to Weverton Cliffs parking lot (3.4 miles)
We awoke to a beautiful cloud inversion, glimpsed through the trees.Gorgeous early morning light.Ready for the off! We reversed our previous day’s route to return to the car.Golden Trumpet mushrooms on a rotting log,
This post is a collection of photos and anecdotes from a terrific week of horse riding on a dude ranch with my wife’s family.
Spectacular scenery on the drive from Jackson to Dubois
Arrival at Lazy L&B Ranch in Dubois, WY (Sunday)
After a spectacular drive past Grand Teton National Park and along the Wind River valley we arrived at Lazy L&B Ranch, our home for the week.
We were greeted with homemade cookies and hot tea, which bode well for the week ahead. The setting was idyllic. There was no cellphone reception and the only wifi was in the main lodge, so we were freed from our digital shackles for the week. Perfect!
The main lodge at Lazy L&B ranchYes, the fire was very welcome, even in the middle of August!
Day 1 (Monday 8/7): Stunning scenery, sore bums, and storms
We awoke to mixed weather for our first day of riding. Hot one minute, cold the next. Dry and wet. Calm and windy. It changed every 30 minutes.
Spear Creek and the storm on the afternoon of day 1
It was time to don our new cowboy boots, mount our horses and head off into the wilderness!
There’s no gentle introduction. Immediately after leaving the ranch we cross Spear Creek. Hang on tight, here we go!
I didn’t have any expectations coming into the week — and honestly, was apprehensive about riding horses again after a break of probably 30+ years — so I was pleasantly surprised how rugged and adventurous the rides were.
Our first of many crossings of Spear Creek on the horses, moments after leaving the ranchA 3,000 year old petroglyph carved into the rock cliffs above Spear Creek (a reproduction can be seen above the fireplace in the lodge)
The scenery was spectacular. Just wild in every direction. Most of the time we couldn’t see anything human-made, other than the trail we were on. It was magnificent.
Wide open countryside on top of the plateauNot much out there (which is the whole point)
After two rides on the first day (morning and afternoon), totaling some 5 hours of riding, I was done in!
I hobbled back from the horse corral to the cabin, with a sore bum and sore knees. It took about an hour to straighten my legs out again!
What a great feeling though, exploring new countryside in a different and adventurous way.
Day 2 (Tuesday 8/8): Fly fishing and resting the sore bums
I woke up with sore knees (curse of the Collins knees! And an old running injury) so I decided, along with some other folks here, to skip the ride today.
Instead, I went to a fly fishing 101 clinic, which was super interesting. The act of casting in a beautiful setting is very zen. I can totally see why it appeals to people. I’m tucking it away in my back pocket as a hobby for the future, when I have more time.
Owen practicing his casting after a fly fishing lesson with guide JoshOne of the cabins after the rainstorm
Day 3 (Wednesday 8/9): Mighty views from the plateau
Lexi and I and our group explored the plateau close to the ranch, visiting the ruins of an old travelers resting post. Our guide told us that Butch Cassidy was reputed to hide out in the mountains in the distance, the Owl Creek range.
Lexi riding with the Wind River mountain range on the horizonButch Cassidy’s hideout? Not quite… this is an old store room, sunk into the earth to keep it coolWrangler Ethan (our guide that day) and Lexi taking a break
Back at the ranch we chilled out for the afternoon and enjoyed the continued break from digital screens.
The most notable event of the evening was when a chair collapsed underneath me as I sat down. No harm done, it all happened in slow motion. Shame we didn’t catch it on video as it would have been a great contender for the America’s Funniest Home Videos show.
Day 4 (Thursday 8/10): Family ride and lasso lessons
The food was exquisite, all week. This morning, eggs and corn beef hash for breakfast. Lexi and the boys had homemade crumb cake with a layer of chocolate running through the middle. Delicious!
You beautiful, magnificent beasts!
Today was the family ride day, so we rode with the boys. It was really fun to experience an adventure together. For most of the week, all the kids did rides and activities together but without the parents (with a guide of course).
We stayed in the valley and explored Spear Creek, crossing it back-and-forth numerous times. Owen was amazingly relaxed on his horse, casually sitting half to the side and only holding the reins, not holding on with his other hand. Just his style!
Our wrangler (guide) Ethan leading our family rideCrossing Spear Creek with my youngest son riding very casually!
In the afternoon, we had a lasso clinic. Yeehaw!
Lasso lessons with the wranglersOur ride to and from the airport. No messing around here, it’s 100% cowboy land.
Day 5 (Friday 8/11): Canyons & plateau ride and cowboy campfire
My favorite ride was on the Friday morning. We rode about 8 miles in 3 hours, up a spectacular gulch (canyon) and onto the plateau. We returned via a steep ridge line. It was a superb ride with incredible views of the Wind River mountain range.
Riding up the lower gulch towards the plateau in the distanceRiding through the canyon as the walls closed inEmerging from the top of the gulch. You get a good view from the top of a horse!Rich on the high plateauLexi on the high plateauAnother guest looking at the Wind River mountain range in the distanceWide open countrySteep descent, hold on tight and lean back!Descending into the red canyon near the ranchThanks for a great week, Misty!
That afternoon a group of us went for a hike up a side canyon, adjacent to the ranch. It was fun to explore on foot and needle our way up a narrow, rocky old stream bed, clambering over the rocks.
The rocky gulch we explored on footBack on the ranch
That evening — our final evening at the ranch — we all sat around the camp fire for a night of BBQ food and cowboy poetry. There were poems, stories, and songs, and much merriment.
Cowboy poetry and campfire on the final nightHappy cowboys. Great week!
We definitely all felt sad to say goodbye and head home. A great week with memories to last a lifetime.
For a sense of what the riding was like, here’s a compilation of short clips I took on my phone throughout the week:
For part I of this trip — when we went hiking in Grand Teton National Park — click here.
Our big family trip this year was to Wyoming, a new part of America for us all. It’s a long way from the east coast and really gave me a sense for how vast and varied the US is.
Down in the valley, it was fully overcast and grey. As we ascended we went into, then back out of the clouds. The views were spectacular from the top, even if most of the Teton range was still hidden by clouds.
We did a short 2-mile hike, which, truthfully, was enough given the altitude. Fantastic scenery and great to be up high again.
Hiking into the cirque of Cody PeakLooking towards Cody Peak, 10,758 ft
Of course we sampled a waffle from Corbet’s Cabin, which reminded me of charming old European alpine huts and is sadly due to be replaced, by something big, modern, and bland no doubt.
Looking out over the Jackson Hole valleyThe boys enjoyed a climbing session in Teton Village in the afternoon
Day 2
Our plan was to drive to Yellowstone and spend a day checking out they geysers. Unfortunately, the weather was miserable with a low cloud base and heavy rain. We did see a couple of moose grazing in the distance during the drive.
We drove as far as Signal Mountain Lodge, stopped for an excellent breakfast, and decided to cut our losses for the day. Spent the afternoon in the pool back at the hotel.
Although it was crowded in places, it was a fantastic hike and the scenery was sublime.
The tops of the Teton range stubbornly hid behind the clouds still, but the reflections in the alpine lakes were gorgeous.
Taggart LakeTaggart LakeMe and Lexi at Taggart Creek
We hiked 6.5 miles with 850 ft ascent, so it was a relatively easy hike even for the boys.
After 3 days in Grand Teton National Park, we still hadn’t seen Grand Teton itself, or the other highest peaks!
They appeared finally, on the morning of day 4, as we traveled east to Dubois, WY, and part II of our Wyoming trip.
Wow, they are a spectacular sight!
This trip really whet my appetite for more mountain adventures again. It’s been almost a decade since I last did any serious mountain climbing and I miss the adventure and camaraderie.
For a sense of the alpine side of the Teton mountain range, check out these inspirational articles:
After the success of our first bike tour, I was keen to get the boys out for another adventure before the weather got too cold. With a long weekend coming up, and a stable — but cold — weather forecast, it was perfect time for it.
On the last tour, we rode from the C&O Canal Parking at Shepherdstown to lower town Harpers Ferry, over 3 days and 2 nights. This time, we started from the same place but rode upstream, away from Harpers Ferry.
The plan was to ride for 8 miles to Horseshoe Bend campsite, camp for 1 night, then reverse the route the next day to meet Lexi at the parking spot again.
In some ways, it’s an even better route because there are fewer people and less bike traffic. It’s completely in the woods so the scenery is lovely. The surface is good quality crushed gravel with only a few rough patches.
Day 1: Shepherdstown to Horseshoe Bend campsite (8 miles)
We set off after lunch on Sunday. I remember feeling a bit stressed that morning getting ready. But that soon all melted away once we got underway. The boys were really excited again and all smiles as we set off.
Setting off from Shepherdstown
The trail is beautiful, traffic-free, and flat, so it’s ideal for riding with the boys. At points it drops down steeply to the river, so I had to encourage Owen to look forwards and ride in a straight line. He does weave about a bit but he did tremendously well to ride the full distance on his tiny bike.
The C&O Canal trail is ideal for riding with kids since there is only one way to go and no traffic
When I’m out with the boys, my policy is to stop whenever they want to explore. They don’t want to ride non-stop like I do, they want to see things and engage with nature. It’s the best way to keep them happy and break up the day so we can cover the distance and keep it fun.
On this section of the canal, there are tons of caves to explore, so we stopped at just about every one.
Lots of caves to explore along this section of the trail
We also stopped by the river whenever opportunity presented itself. I’m happy to enjoy the stunning river vista and the boys are happy to hunt for shells, bugs, and fish.
Watching the minnows at Snyder’s Landing boat ramp
I had to encourage the boys to keep pedaling, to keep some momentum, to ensure we could get to camp before it went dark though.
Brothers on the trail together
We pulled into Horseshoe Bend hiker biker campsite around 5.30pm, an hour or so before dark. This gave ample time to set up the tent, make dinner, and, you guessed it, explore the surroundings.
Our tent at Horseshoe Bend campsite
It was a beautiful fall evening and the colors along the river were starting to show. In another week or so, it’ll be sublime!
Beautiful fall colors along the Potomac River
We shared the campsite with one other bike tourer, a gentleman named Mike, who was riding from Pittsburgh to D.C. (this is the GAP + C&O combined, that Pete and I did as part of our 2014 NE bike tour).
Full view of the campsite
Mike had a fire going already when we arrived, and the boys enjoyed this as much for the spectacle of the fire as for the warmth. It was a cold evening, a portent of things to come.
Enjoying the warmth of a campfire and hot chocolate (wishing we’d brought s’mores stuff!)
It was dark by 7.30 so we were in the tent before 8 to read books (Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator, fantastic story!).
The boys were asleep by around 9, me shortly afterwards.
It was a cold night! It got down to 34 F. The boys slept right through the night but I woke up a few times rather cold, my old summer sleeping bag not quite cutting it. Not a bad night though, I had plenty of layers to put on.
Day 2: Horseshoe Bend campsite to Shepherdstown (8 miles)
We awoke to a beautiful morning, with mist hanging over the river.
Mist on the Potomac River at daybreakWaking up in the tent after a cold night. The boys slept as well as they do at home! 🙂
Owen helped me make peanut butter bagels and hot chocolate (for the boys), granola and tea (for me) on the camp stove. Once made, we took the breakfast back to the tent to eat with Dominic, from the warmth of our sleeping bags.
Packed up and ready to ride, morning of day 2
The riding on day 2 was a reverse of day 1’s route. They were a little tired so I bribed them with M&Ms every time we stopped.
Rough area ahead (but it wasn’t bad at all)Dominic and Owen on the trailMe bringing up the rear
Dominic found a great rocky beach to explore mid-morning. We found lots of river clam shells (some really big ones) and hung out for a half hour or so playing games and watching the river rush by.
Beach combing along the Potomac
Again, we explored some of the many caves in the area. The boys wanted to go deeper than I was willing to go. When Dominic said “Dad, we’ll have to crawl through here” I said that was far enough 😉
I just need to mention “spider!” if I want to get them out the cave quickly
We had a longer lunch break at Taylor’s landing (incidentally where I met Chuck on a paddle board trip a couple of months ago).
The boys were content to balance on this log and jump back to the shore. Everything is a playground at this age.
The Great Outdoors. Best playground in the world.
We passed a (water) snake on the towpath after lunch. The boys were fascinated. Soon after, we saw a couple of field mice, which would have made a tasty snack for the snake.
Snake on the trail! A water snake (I think)
Half a mile further on, we crossed paths with Chuck and his buddy, out on a bike ride going the opposite direction, and chatted with them for a while.
Then all that remained was to ride the last couple of miles back to the parking lot at Shepherdstown, where Lexi met us.
Lexi took the boys and their bikes, the trailer, and all the camping gear home. I rode back home on my bike. It was a nice to ride a light bike again.
Overall, it was great fun and another successful trip together. Way more fun that sitting around the house and watching TV. I think the boys enjoyed it as much as I did. My goal is to have them enjoy it so they want to keep doing these adventures for years to come.
Day 1: Home to Harpers Ferry Campground, 2.5 miles, 8/22/21
I’ve wanted to take the boys camping for a long time but never quite gotten around to it. Something always came up or the weather didn’t cooperate. This time however, the stars aligned. I had a gap in the schedule, the boys haven’t started school and the weather forecast was stable (although rather hot!).
This is sad to say, but it’s been years since I’ve camped (something I plan to rectify!). I had fun digging out my old camping gear though and packing for this adventure. Everything looked like new again. That’s the thing with good quality outdoor gear — it lasts a lifetime if you look after it.
In my pre-kids life I did a lot of camping so it was easy to plan what we needed and get everything together. The boys carried some of their clothes and water bottles in their bags.
We set off around 3 pm, full of excitement! The boys were embarking on their first camping adventure.
Leaving home!
Lexi walked with us for the first quarter mile to Nash Farm. Owen didn’t believe us when we said that mom was turning around here. “You’re joking right?”
All smiles as we passed Nash Farm, about quarter of a mile from home 😉
We strode on, down the trail from the back of Nash Farm to the river. Owen face planted twice on the way down, the poor guy. No harm done, just muddy knees. At the bottom of the hill I led the boys through the river tunnel under the rail tracks rather than crossing the tracks. It was almost bone dry.
We stopped to explore the Canal Headrace and enjoy views out to Maryland Heights. At this age, the boys are mostly indifferent to pretty views though. They prefer bugs or interesting graffiti.
We arrived at the campsite around 5 pm. I couldn’t find the caretaker, so we picked the furthest tent site and set up camp. The boys helped put the tent up, and then proceeded to trip over the tent pegs every 5 minutes 😉
The boys were super interested in how the tent went together
The tent is a 7 year old Mountain Hardwear Skyledge, which is a lightweight 2-person tent. It was comfortable with me and the boys, if a little cozy. I’ll consider taking the 3-person pyramid tent next time.
Our home for the night!It’s a nice campground! We got the end tent site which was nice.
Once we’d set up camp, we wandered back to the river shore to explore for an hour or so. We built sandcastles and hunted for shells. It’s serene and beautiful in the evenings. Again, the boys were digging in the mud whilst Dad was admiring the view.
The Potomac River is beautiful in the eveningsAnother dreamy view on the Potomac RiverCooking dinner!
Back at the tent we had dinner. I brought the MSR Pocket Rocket stove to heat up a camp meal for myself. The boys had sandwiches, fruit and muffins.
That night I had my work cut out! They were excitable and wanted story after story. All good fun and they fell asleep around 9.30 pm. I was nodding off by then too.
But sleep didn’t come easily because it was so hot in the tent. I ended up keeping both fly doors open and cracking the inner doors too. Thankfully there were no bugs so that wasn’t an issue. I eventually fell asleep properly sometime after midnight. I was woken up a couple more times but overall it was a relatively good night.
Stories before bed in the tent
Day 2: Harpers Ferry Campground to Home, 2.5 miles, 8/23/21
Morning of day 2 as the sun rises over the river
It was a beautiful morning when we woke up, with the sun rising over the river and pouring through the trees. We were all awake by 6.30 am when the tent got light.
Our first job was to retrieve our food bag that we hung last night. We didn’t hang it to protect from bears (low risk here) but I wanted to protect from rodents in the night. It was also a fun experiment to do with the boys. It worked a treat.
We hung our food bag in the trees to protect it from rodents.
Then it was onto breakfast. I had this hot granola, which was surprisingly good, and a cup of tea.
Making breakfast for Dad
Another family with young boys was camped a few sites down from us (the rest of the sites were empty at this end of the campground), so we stopped and played with them for a while before setting off on the trek home. We stopped for a paddle in the river too.
Last look at the river from our campsite before we began the trek home
We went a slightly different way home and met Lexi along the Armory Trail.
We took the trail that cuts up to East Ridge St, and then home from there. It was another super hot day so I was relieved it was only a short day!
Passing the canal headrace on the way home. Hot already!
Overall, this was a fantastic mini adventure. It wasn’t easy but it also wasn’t too hard. I’m looking forward to more trips with the boys in the future!
Ben Collins Outdoors 