Sparrowhawks
a mother-child backpacking adventure
DAY ONE: Meet at the Ice Age Trailhead on Cushing Park Road in Delafield, WI. Hannah will help each sparrow (child)- hawk (mother) pair pack their packs: The Hawk will carry the tent, her sleepingbag, her mattress, and her share of the food and water. The Sparrow will carry her sleepingbag, her mattress, and her share of the food and water. Hannah will teach everyone how to pack a backpack for the most amount of comfort and least amount of rigor (though there will always be rigor!)
Backpack four miles through a rolling oak savannah that Hannah’s family calls “the Magnificent Meadow”.
We will arrive at the backcountry site located within Lapham Peak State Park. (*NOTE: I do not recall if there is a water spigot at camp: plan on there not being one). Together we will set up our tents (sparrows and hawks will do it together!) and gather firewood for the bonfire later. Before sunset, we will hike the half mile to Lapham Tower and behold Wisconsin’s humble grandeur at sunset.
NIGHT ONE: Hike back to our site. Campfire and camping at the backcountry site at Lapham Peak. Around the campfire, we can talk about everything and nothing.
DAY TWO: Wake up and break camp. Hannah will teach the kids the “Leave No Trace” backpacker’s ethic. Backpack on the Ice Age Trail the four miles to the car. Everyone will celebrate being forever young and wild with a simple brunch, coffee, mimosa for the hawks, and “champu” for the sparrows, which is what Hannah’s goddaughter Zuzie calls “sparkling grape juice”.
(The brunch will be bananas, peanut butter, apples, bagels and cream cheese, granola bars, string cheese. I don’t have the capacity to take dietary restrictions into account, but you are welcome to bring any food you want to eat instead)
NOTE: Each sparrow should be able to hike four miles at a time. You know your child’s abilities. It is imperative for a backpacker to be able to carry her own weight, and hike the distance demanded. One of the most liberating and empowering things about backpacking is that No one will hike the miles for you: you must do it yourself.
The topography of the stretch of the Ice Age Trail is one of rolling hills, and is not especially rigorous. But your sparrow probably has never hiked four miles with a “heavy” pack on before. So, know you and your sparrow’s strengths but also your weaknesses!
Total Miles Hiked: 9 (nine)
The Gear
I have assembled the primary pieces of backpacking gear for you to rent. (tent, a warm-weather sleeping bag, sleeping pad, backpack) You may have some equipment already: great! Bring it, and rent what you don’t have. I also have trekking poles for adults.
My thought is that each mother-child pair can share a tent. I think each kid should have her own sleeping bag and pad, as well as each mother. I have enough pads and sleeping bags for the mothers, but not the kids.
When I began backpacking, the REI Backpacking Checklist was valuable to me. It is linked below, but I promise you, you don’t need everything written here. Backpacking gear is extremely expensive when new, so I hope I’ve taken some pressure off by investing in gear so that you’re not burdened by expenses for an activity you don’t even know if you’re going to like.
You will be responsible for bringing your clothes (I don’t think you need a change of clothes or even pajamas), toiletries, and you and your kid’s own dinner and, if you choose to use heat when cooking , your own backpacking stove. (Note: you don’t need one.)
You are welcome to email me about any gear questions you have.
the value
The base price for the trek is $277.00 for both you and your sparrow. Included in this price is campsite reservations, taxes/fees, and the celebration breakfast.
Each piece of gear is $50.00 to rent. If you need just one piece of gear, add $50. If you need all four, add $200. We will be in touch about your needs, and I’ll send you a Paypal invoice for the gear rental you need.
…
I hope to show you and your sparrow two doors: the one out in Nature that is always open to you, and the one inside yourselves that ought never be shut. Backpacking is a challenging, meaningful, beautiful path into the heart of living fiercely.
I have backpacked thousands of miles, across entire countries over the world. I’ve learned that the goal of my life is to show (solo)backpacking to more women, to reveal to them their strength through time spent in Nature, and to inspire them on toward a more thrilling future. To get the chance to share this with younger kids is a true gift.