10 Winter Hikes for Families in the Seattle Area

Since moving to Western Washington 3 years ago, I have come to appreciate something called "Mid-Winter Break."  We lived in Utah, Arizona, Alabama and Iowa before here, and this beautiful reprieve from school didn't exist in any of those other places (to my knowledge). We had Winter Break, Spring Break, and in some cases, Fall Break, but never Mid-Winter Break.

I feel Mid-Winter Break is everything its name implies--a break from the middle of Winter. In a state that gets 55 more days of precipitation than the national average (most of it falling between October and April), this break is a good excuse to get outside and appreciate the beauty that is so abundant here--even during the rainy months!

I have compiled TEN tried and true hikes that are typically accessible in the Winter and early Spring months. We have explored each of these areas--many multiple times.  I will share our experience with these trails, pictures from the area, and links to more info.  With all of these hikes, an excellent resource is WTA.ORG. I recommend checking WTA for recent trip reports before heading out on any day hike to insure the trail conditions are safe and passable.

I  have also broken my list down into 4 general areas: Tiger Mountain, I-90/Snoqualmie, Mount Rainier--Carbon River Entrance, and Black Diamond/Enumclaw.

Tiger Mountain

West Tiger #3 Trail

Distance: 5 miles round-trip

Elevation Gain: 2100 feet
 Age Suitability: Experienced young children can do it as the trail is well-maintained and safe, but it is a thigh-burner. 

Access: Via I-90 Exit 20

http://www.wta.org/go-hiking/hikes/west-tiger-3

View from West Tiger Summit

This trail head is marked and begins from the Department of Natural Resources parking lot (Discovery Pass required). Many other trails begin near by, so pay attention to the signage. It begins gradually but quickly begins climbing. The majority of the trail is an old logging road bed, so it is nice and wide (great for kids), and proceeds with long switchbacks. It doesn't let up on it's ascent until about the last 1/4 of the trail where it soon intersects with the Cable Line trail (you may see hikers to your right going straight up just before the two trails merge). 

About halfway up you start to get nice views of Issaquah and beyond.  I have seen gorgeous sunsets on semi-clear days, sometimes more expansive than the summit views, which are limited unless it is a super-clear day. 

We LOVE this hike. It is a favorite winter run for me and my husband. We did it when it was snowy at the top in January. Although you gain a good bit of elevation, it is never crazy steep so our trail-running shoes were plenty of traction. During a cold-snap (the rare days when freezing temps persist in day-light hours) the upper sections can be icy, so refer to recent trip reports if those conditions exist. 

South Tiger Mountain Trail

Distance:3-7 miles round-trip, depending on turn around spot

Elevation Gain: Varies depending on turn around--600-1100 feet. 

Age Suitability: Young children can handle it. Only one small section would require an adult's hand.  Last 1/2 mile to powerlines is steep, but doable.

Access: Via Tiger Mountain Rd, 0.3 miles off of Issaquah Hobart Road (see Map and directions below)

http://www.wta.org/go-hiking/hikes/south-tiger-mountain-loop

This is a go-to trail for us because it is easily accessible, never crowded, and you get a great view in a short-ish hike.  I do not recommend this hike for summertime, though. It tends to get quite overgrown with many thorny plants.  For winter and early spring, it is excellent.

This trail has beautiful ferns, mossy old growth trees, and a wide variety of native flora. You cross several little streams, and hike near some small natural forest ponds.  The trail climbs gradually for about 1 miles, then forks--the main trail goes left and the horse trail goes right. They meet up at the same spot, but I don't recommend the horse trail. It is much muddier and will have an abundance of horse poop to navigate around. 

The main trail's grade lessens some after the fork, and soon comes to the only section of trail where you will need to watch footing with little ones. The trail is in good shape, it just drops off steeply on one side so we hold our youngest's hand. (My research revealed this area is called "Carkin's Cliff"). 

Once past the cliff, the trail soon intersects with the South Tiger Traverse trail. You can turn right to continue on the Tiger Mountain Trail, or go just past it a few feet and you'll be at a road-width trail. This is the South Tiger Traverse Trail. Follow that up (this is the steepest part of the hike), to where it intersects with the Power Line Trail. This is frequently where we stop, enjoy the view, have a snack, and turn around.  On a clear day we have seen as far west as the Olympics from here. Typically you get some beautiful views of the Renton Highlands and surrounding area. Turning around here will make for a 3.8 mile hike, roundtrip.

If you want to keep going, you can wind your way up (continuing on the Traverse Trail--just behind the big power line transmission tower) to a drier forest that eventually intersects again with the main Tiger Mountain Trail. The South Tiger Summit is about 2 miles past the Power Line View point, and though we have reached it, it has never been well-maintained at the very top. 

Wintery view from South Tiger Summit vicinity. The actual summit is quite anti-climactic and has very little view, but we captured this a few yards below.

Poo-poo Point via Chirico Trail

Distance: 3.8 miles round-trip

Elevation Gain: 1760 feet

Age Suitability: Experienced young children (Our daughter first did it at 5). It is a relentless climb, but isn't too long.

Access: Issaquah Hobart Road--3.1 miles south of I-90 Exit 17

http://www.wta.org/go-hiking/hikes/poo-poo-point-chirico-trail

Mt. Rainier is visible on a clear day from the South Launch Viewpoint.

We LOVE this trail. So do thousands of other King County residents. It is popular, well maintained, and can be an extra-exciting experience if paragliders are launching.  It can get crowded, but I have never regretted a climb to Poo-Poo Point. 

The parking lot can get crowded on weekends and holidays, but we've never had to wait more than a few minutes for a spot to open up.  Once on the trail, you will find that it is a shaded, steep climb. The first half traverses the side of the mountain on a narrow trail of dirt and exposed rock.  Footing is good, even when wet. The second half gets wider and slightly less steep, but still consistently uphill.  You'll reach the South Launch Viewpoint first. It is a sight to behold, but don't turn around there. The North Viewpoint is less than 10 more minutes up the trail and is worth every step. 

Everyone seems to wonder about the name, myself included, so I looked up the origin. Several years ago before this area became the popular hiking and paragliding spot that it is,  it was a area used by loggers.  The loggers used whistles to communicate with the logging tower operators.  The signal that two logs were cabled and ready to be towed sounded like "poo poo."  Hence the name: Poo-Poo Point. (Source: http://www.king5.com/story/news/local/2014/07/30/12879640/)

 The view is always rewarding. South Launch point shown here.

The North Launch View point is a bit higher and can have views out to Lake Sammamish and beyond.

High School Trail 

(and gateway to many other trails)

Distance: 6 miles round-trip if you take it all the way to Poo-Poo point; we prefer it as a starting trail to many others in the Tiger Mt System

Elevation Gain: 1700 feet 

Age Suitability: Age 6+ if experienced. Younger could handle many of the off-shoots from the trail. 

Access: Trailhead is behind Issaquah High School, on the south side.  There is a small parking lot off 2nd Ave south of the school that requires a Discover Pass. On weekends and holidays you can also park in the school lot, just below the tennis courts. The trail head is marked with a sign. 

http://www.wta.org/go-hiking/hikes/high-school-trail

This was one of the first trails I hiked after moving here. My husband took our older kids on an outing, so it was just me and my little toddler. I hoisted her in the baby backpack and we took off. I had heard about Poo Poo Point from a friend, but somehow ended up taking the long way (this trail) to it instead of the Chirico trail. I also made a couple wrong turns at the beginning, where I got a taste of how interconnected and expansive the Tiger Mountain trail system is. I think I ended up hiking about 12 miles that day. 

Since then, we have learned that the High School Trail is an excellent place to start hikes to many parts of Tiger Mountain. One is the Bus Trail, an extremely well-maintained, flat trail that surprises you with the skeleton of a large old city bus.  This trail can also be accessed from the parking lot as West Tiger #3 (the first in this post). 

The High School trail can be a connector for a variety of relatively flat loops around the mountain (Adventure Trail, Puget Power, Wetlands Trail, among others). Many hikers and runners do a combination of these to get trail mileage and beautiful scenery with relatively little elevation gain.

This was me and my little lady after my meandering first jaunt up the High School Trail. Thankfully, she carries her own weight, now. :)

I-90/Snoqualmie Area

Rattlesnake Ledge

Distance: 4 miles round-trip

Elevation Gain: 1160 ft

Age Suitability: Great for any age that can manage the distance. Trail is well-maintained and has great footing. The "ledges" at the top are exactly that, though, and require a firm grip on little-ones.

Access: I-90 Exit 32, turn right on 436th Ave SE. Parking lot  does NOT require a special pass. 

http://www.wta.org/go-hiking/hikes/rattle-snake-ledge

I love this picture of my boys. Can you tell they are gifted honor students?!? 

Rattlesnake Ledge is arguably the most popular hike in King County. I believe this is partially because of its easy access and the fact that no special pass is required, but mostly because hikers can enjoy such incredible views after only 2 miles and 1160 feet of ascent.

Many people stop at the lower ledge, which is a large outcropping of rocks with some deep fissures between. On sunny days hikers will hang out there for snacks and photos enjoying the 180 degree views.  However, a few more minutes up the trail will take you to a less scary but just as (maybe more) expansive view without as much fear of losing a child in a crevasse.

Twin Falls Trail

Distance: 3-3.5 miles round-trip, depending on where you start.

Elevation Gain: 500 feet

Age Suitability: Older toddlers on up

Access: Preferred start is via I-90 Exit 34 (7600 SE 159th St, North Bend), but check WTA trip reports for trail conditions. It can also be accessed via Exit 38 at Homestead Valley Trail head. This way will take you to the falls, but isn't quite as fun or pretty, and is a bit longer. Either starting point requires a Discover Pass. 

http://www.wta.org/go-hiking/hikes/twin-falls-state-park

Twin Falls is so named because of the "two" waterfalls you reach. They could be called one with a step between them, but they are impressive however you number them. The hike from the main parking lot starts along the South Fork of the Snoqualmie River.  My kids could spend hours just playing along the banks. It proceeds with a gradual ascent through a beautiful old-growth rainforest that receives significantly more rain than Seattle proper (about 20 inches/year more).  The fact that most of this falls during the winter makes these falls most impressive during the colder, wetter months. 

As you approach the falls, a trail goes down steeply to a couple of viewing platforms. These are worth the walk back up; they present an excellent view of the falls, and the lower one gets sprayed when the falls are full. 

Once you get back up to the main trail, you'll soon cross a nice bridge over the falls. This is generally where the hike is considered to end, though the trail keeps going and eventually meets up with the Iron Horse Trail. 

Mount Rainier

Carbon River Trail to Ipsut Creek Campground

Distance: 10 miles round-trip

Elevation Gain: 400-ish feet

Age Suitability: Any who can make the distance. The trail is wide and safe--but long.

Access: Carbon River Entrance to Mount Rainier National Park via SR 410 to SR 165

http://www.wta.org/go-hiking/hikes/carbon-river

The Carbon River Trail has become a go-to hike for my family.  We have hiked, biked, and backpacked along it during all seasons of the year.  Since it is the lowest-elevation entrance to Mt. Rainier NP, it is the most likely to be snow-free during the winter. It CAN have snow, though.  But even with snow, it is usually hikable, (especially if you have good boots and gaiters) because it is wide and mostly flat. 

The hike was a road until 2006, when flooding caused enough damage that the park decided to close it to vehicle traffic. This decision had 2 fortunate results for families who enjoy the outdoors: (1) The trail is open to bicycle traffic--the only trail in Mt Rainier NP that allows bikes, and (2) The Ipsut Creek Campground is now the nicest backpacking campground around, complete with picnic tables, bear boxes, and bathrooms! This was our family's first location for a family backpacking trip, and we loved it!

The trail begins in an old-growth rainforest and follows the Carbon River, offering beautiful views of the foothills surrounding Mt. Rainier about 3 miles in.  Summer hiking offers some off-shoot trails to waterfalls and high lakes, but they are either inaccessible or not easily accessed during winter months. 

Rainforest Nature Trail at Carbon River

Distance: 0.5 miles round trip

Elevation Gain: 80 feet

Age Suitability: Anyone

Access: Carbon River Entrance to Mount Rainier National Park via SR 410 to SR 165

http://www.wta.org/go-hiking/hikes/carbon-river-rain-forest-nature-trail

This short nature hike showcases the mossy, lichen-filled old-growth rainforest created by the floodplain of the Carbon river.  It is a self-guided tour with many species labeled, and endless flora (and maybe some fauna--but less in the winter) to see. 

Black Diamond/Enumclaw

Franklin Ghost Town

Distance: 2.5 miles round-trip

Elevation Gain: 200 feet

Age Suitability: Toddlers on up. A few parts require hand-holding.

Access: Via WA-169 S into the city of Black Diamond. Turn left on Lawson and go about 4 miles to road-side parking. 

http://www.wta.org/go-hiking/hikes/franklin-ghost-town

I first discovered this hike thanks to a women's hiking group I participated in a couple of times when I first moved here.  Many women brought toddlers and we completed the entire outing in time for some moms to pick up half-day kindergartners.  It was a bit rushed for me, so I brought my family back soon after. The ghost town is an old cole-mining town.  A shaft still exists that goes down 1,000 feet. It is covered by a grate, so no safety worries. My kids loved tossing pebbles down to see if they could hear them drop after several seconds. 

In addition to some peeks of Mt Rainier, the top of the hike has an old cemetery.  This was the part that most intrigued me. My kids brought paper and crayons to do rubbings of the headstones. With a few of them, due to the weathering of the stone, we couldn't tell what they said until we did the rubbings. It was a remarkable experience. None of the life-spans were to what we would consider full by today's standards, and a few were babies or children. We talked about how life today is so much easier in many respects than it was back then. 

This picture was from the field at the beginning of the hike. I think it is used for parking sometimes. It was a sea of dandelions on this early spring trip, and absolute heaven for my little girl.

Mt Peak

(aka Pinnacle Peak, Mt Pete, Cal Magnusson Trail)

Distance: 2-2.4 miles round-trip

Elevation Gain: 1058

Age Suitability: Tough youngsters (I'd say age 4-5+) can do it. It is steep, but not too long.

Access: Via SR-410 in Enumclaw, head south on 284th Ave SE at the King County Fairgrounds, then west on SE 472nd Street. The trailhead is at the corner of 276th Ave and SE 472nd. Roadside parking, no permit required.  

An alternative, south route is accessible along SE Mud Mountain Road, just south of 481st Street. I haven't done the south route, and according to WTA, it is a bit gentler, but also open to mountain bikers. 

http://www.wta.org/go-hiking/hikes/mount-peak-pinnacle-peak

Thanks to my friend Kristen for this shot of the trail!

Thanks to our friend Eric for this shot from the Cal Magnusson (north route) Trail.

Mt. Peak is a great hike if you don't have a ton of time, but want to get a good workout in. It ascends aggressively (but safely) up the side of this volcanic mound that seems to jut randomly out of the ground in Enumclaw. Though the summit is a bit closed in, you can still manage a view on a clear day.  You can also marvel at the basalt columns near the top. The hike is through a beautiful forest, and the entire area surrounding the peak is lovely farmland with Mount Rainier as a backdrop. 

Now go hit the trail! :)

Sharing at some of these link-ups.

Kids' Hiking Gaiters Pattern

If you follow my blog or my social media feeds (or if you know me personally!), you know that I love spending time with my family, especially if we get to be out in nature!  You will also be very aware that I like to sew, especially when I get to use original creative thought in the process!

This Kids' Hiking Gaiters project has been a perfect marriage of my love of outdoor adventuring and creative sewing! 

WHY GAITERS? 

If the trail is muddy, dusty, rocky, wet, or snowy, gaiters are a hiker's best friend. They keep unwanted pebbles, dirt, ice, and anything else on the trail out of your boots. They add an extra layer of protection for your legs from thorns and scratchy underbrush.  No more frayed pants legs and scratched up shins! And if there is 2 feet of snow?? No problem!!

My husband and I have been working on fully outfitting our family for backpacking trips over the past 3 years. It has been a learning process that has taken time, research, money, and experience.  We have bought nice hiking gaiters for 4 of the 6 of us--the 4 who could wear adult-sized gaiters. However, child-sized gaiters are much harder to find. We wanted them to be as rugged as adult gaiters, but we needed them to fit our kids. So I told my husband I would design some.  I am SUPER excited about these. I used the pattern to make two pairs of gaiters for my kids, and it worked beautifully.

I designed these to be sewn using a standard home-use sewing machine. No industrial machine is needed. 

I have listed this pattern and tutorial, which includes a printable PDF of the pattern and an illustrated, step-by-step tutorial, on Etsy for an introductory price of $2.00 USD:

Kids' Hiking Gaiters Pattern

As an extra help for anyone making these, I am sharing here some places you can buy the materials to make these. Many standard fabric stores don't carry the sport utility fabrics required, but they can be found!

Here are some of my sources: 

• FOR ONE-STOP SHOPPING: If you live in the Seattle area, Seattle Fabrics in Freemont is an excellent source for any and all the outdoor fabrics and sewing notions you will need.  I guess that is a bonus to having Outdoor Research and REI headquartered here. If you don't live here, no worries, Amazon (also headquartered here) ships everywhere and has many excellent outdoor fabric and notion deals.
• PACK CLOTH :  Amazon has some great deals on this tough, water-resistant fabric. It is what your child's backpack is made of and makes excellent gaiters. (And my daughter would have LOVED that hot-pink option! Too bad I just found it!)

• IRONING BOARD FABRIC:  I found this versatile fabric at Joann's. Although it contains cotton (which we generally avoid with outdoor gear), it has aluminum woven into the surface making it very tough and water resistant. It also won't melt if a hot ember lands on it (which can't be said of any of the nylon fabrics!).  In my gaiters pattern, I double up this fabric to give added stability to the gaiter. 
• RIPSTOP NYLON:  Many fabric stores are starting to carry a limited supply of ripstop nylon. Not all ripstop is created equal. If you are wanting to use it for the main body of the gaiters, I suggested holding out to find a heavier, coated ripstop so it will be water resistant.  Amazon has some--but be sure to read the reviews; some say they are water resistant but do not have a polyurethane coating.  For the front panels of the gaiters, an uncoated ripstop would be fine. 

• LADDER LOCK SLIDER BUCKLES and WEBBING: You might find these at your fabric store, but be careful of the quality.  You want webbing and buckles that can hold up to abuse since these will be right at the base of the boot. They will undoubtedly be scratched by rocks, get caked in dirt and mud, and get very wet.  Again, Amazon is a good source, but read reviews and go for the branded options.  Often REI and other outdoor outfitters will carry these where you buy rock climbing gear if you don't want to buy the large quantities offered on Amazon.

• COAT HOOKS: These can be found at fabric stores. They will come as "Coat Hook and Eyes." You'll only need the hooks for this. You can also order them on Amazon.  Be sure to get them large enough to hook around a shoe lace (there are some tiny hook and eye sets out there). 
  

• 1.5 INCH VELCRO: When designing these gaiters, I ALMOST went with a 3/4" Velcro. That was my original plan. Then as the design went forward, I realized that if I wanted my kids' gaiters to be as tough as the adults', they needed the fat, tough Velcro.  Call your fabric store before driving there to just buy this. It is not as in-demand as smaller width options and so isn't always carried. For me, it was cheaper to just order it than spend the gas to go searching. I bought this Country Brook Hook and Loop Velcro. It is EXCELLENT. No regrets on this purchase.

I snapped the photo above while making my kids' gaiters, testing out my original design. It was truly a rewarding process--knowing I was making something useful to my family, and that I could share for others to use.
If you get the pattern download, I'd love to hear about your experience making and using the gaiters! And of course, I love hearing about any family adventures on the trails!


Participating in some of these link-ups

Cooking in the Wilderness Part 3: Backpacking Meals

My husband, 4 kids and I just returned from a successful 26 mile, 3 night backpacking trip last week. Before the trip I FINALLY took some pics of meals so I could share some of what I have learned about feeding my family on the trails. 

As the title says, this is the third part in my "Cooking in the Wilderness" series. 

Here are the first two parts if you missed them: 

Cooking in the Wilderness Part 1: DIY Cup and Pot Cozies

Cooking in the Wilderness Part 2: Alcohol Stoves

My goal in these posts is to share what I've learned. I am not an expert. My husband and I learn many new skills each time we go out with our family. On our excursions, we have eaten some gross food, some decent food, and some excellent food. And so far we haven't starved.

If you are backpacking for 3 nights by yourself, meal planning is fairly easy. You may just purchase some meal bars and Mountain House Meals (or other pre-made just-add-water meals), and you are good to go.  

But planning meals for a family of 6 for 4 days is more of a challenge. We would spend a fortune if we bought Mountain House Meals for our whole family every time we went. They run about $6-7/meal. We'd be spending $60-$80 a day just to eat on the trail! 

I have come up with some essential criteria for backpacking food:

1. It must use minimal packaging. Remember, all trash must be packed out.

2. It must be cooked in a pot on a backpacking stove--so "just add water," "pre-cooked," and "quick" are desirable features.

3. Calorie dense and high sodium=good.  Your food is your fuel. And you have to carry it on your back. 

4. It needs to be YUMMY.  My kids like knowing what is being served for dinner is something they can look forward to as they walk for miles and miles with a heavy pack.  Delicious food helps our psychological state everywhere, but especially while backpacking. 

First I will share how I do SNACKS on the backpacking trail: 

Before the trip I make a pile of snacks for each member of the family.  Granola bars, trail mix (nuts, cereal, mini-graham cookies, dried fruit, etc). and bags of candy (jelly beans and Sour Patch Kids are family faves). As you can see, Corn Nuts are also a favorite. Everyone carries their own snacks in their packs.  We encourage them to ration it so it can last the entire trip. (This especially applies to the 5-year-old with the jelly beans).

Second, BREAKFAST:

(Who just thought of hobbits?)

Grits, Cream of Wheat, Malt-O-Meal, or other quick-cooking hot cereal makes an excellent breakfast in the wilderness. Measure out the amount you need of the dry cereal, add salt, sugar or other seasoning, then write the amount of water you need to boil with a permanent marker on the bag.  We also love bringing hot cocoa and apple cider to have morning and night. 

It seems almost silly to have photographed our oatmeal packets, but here they are! I LOVE eating pre-packaged instant oatmeal for breakfast on the trail. We dump it all together (yes--every flavor!) in the pot of boiling water and it is ready in a snap. This simple breakfast is cheap and always tastes and feels so good.

Another breakfast we typically have is homemade or store-bought granola bars. We usually eat this on our last day to save time.

Third, I will share some LUNCH ideas:

Bread brought on the trail should be okay when smashed in your pack. So tortillas, pita bread, and bagels are our go-to backpacking breads.  This lunch was so simple, but so enjoyed! My kids said I should've brought twice as much. Mustard and dry salame rolled into a tortilla.  I did bring the mustard in the small bottle. If you really wanted to conserve space, you could squeeze it into a baggy before going, but I didn't want to risk it bursting open.  

This is one of our go-to lunches. We vary the flavor of bagel, but even if we didn't I think it would still be enjoyed.  I did bring the jar of peanut butter to ensure it didn't get squeezed out of a baggy. I also squeezed extra honey into the jar (it wasn't full).  The sweet and salty flavor of peanut butter and honey and the sustained energy of the carbs from the bagel make it a perfect backpacking lunch. 

Now onto DINNER in the wilderness:

On the left of the butter is our dessert:(from top) Dried apples, cinnamon and brown sugar, and an instant oatmeal packet mixed with graham cracker crumbs. On the right is our main course: Pre-cooked bacon, instant mashed potatoes (with cooking directions written on the bag), and powdered milk to make for the potatoes.  Part of the butter is used in the potatoes, the rest is added to dessert.  This meal was another in which the only complaint was that I should have brought more (but no one starved!). 

This is the baked apple dessert. It would also make a delicious breakfast. Cover dehydrated apples in water. Bring to a boil and cover until reconstituted. Add sugar and cinnamon mixture and butter. Sprinkle oatmeal/graham cracker crumbs on top and stir gently. We LOVE this, and it would work with other dried fruit like peaches or berries. 

Cheddar cheese, dehydrated refried beans, and tortillas. This was our meal on our first night out. We didn't want to chance the cheese getting to hot during the next day of hiking. This was an easy, filling, and tasty dinner.  Reconstitute the refried beans by covering them in boiling water and letting them sit for about 20 minutes. Meanwhile, slice the cheese. Spread the beans on the tortillas and top with cheese. If you want to melt the cheese, fold the tortilla in fourths and wrap in the foil. Stack in a pot and heat for about 5 minutes. 

Chicken fettucini!  I LOVE that pre-cooked chicken now comes in a pouch! We add it to quick cooking pre-seasoned pasta or rice for a delicious, hearty meal! This was the family's favorite of the trip. 

Other dinners we've enjoyed included macaroni and cheese (yes, from the box), tuna or salmon in pouch packaging, quick cooking rice, couscous, and of course, ramen noodles. 

Each of these meals fed my family of 6, and cost about the same or less than one Mountain House 1-serving meal. 

When we are packing for our trip, I put the contents of each meal in a plastic grocery sack and label it with which meal it is (ex: "Wednesday Lunch").  Then as we are filling our packs, each of us takes note of which meals we are carrying so we are ready when it's time to eat. 

I hope this is helpful to anyone looking to take to the trails! We are always learning about new trail food.  I'd love to hear ideas for meals you have made while backpacking! 

Backpacking with our family takes a great deal of planning and patience, but when we get to be together enjoying God's amazing creations, it is so worth every bit of work! 

Participating in these link-ups.

Cooking in the Wilderness Part Two: Alcohol Stoves

I had never heard of, let alone cooked on, an alcohol stove until a couple of years ago. My husband started saving (read: hoarding) tuna cans. Then I bought a rare 12 pack of Coke, and he kept those cans every time one was used. Then he saved V-8 cans. Then little cans from sliced olives or mushrooms.  All the while he and my boys were making these stoves--and cooking on my nice countertops when there was a perfectly good gas range right behind them.

Needless to say, I wasn't into the can cooking thing at first.  But, I have seen the light (no pun intended---alcohol actually burns invisibly unless it's dark out--so there's no light to see...hahaha).  With multiple multi-day backpacking trips with my family now under my belt, I LOVE these little homemade stoves.  I decided to make a list---

WHY I LOVE ALCOHOL STOVES:

• They are FREE to make; they are made from used food cans!
• De-natured Alcohol is a clean, cheap, easy to store fuel.
• They are light-weight. Every ounce counts when your packing your own stuff!
• My kids can each pack their own, and they can help make our food!
• If they wear out over-time or get lost, no problem--just make more!
• The varied sizes of cans make customizing stoves to fit specific pots easy.

I have nothing against some of the backpacking stoves that are out there.  We have friends who use the MSR Whisperlite Stove and are quite happy with it.  But if evaluated on the same points I outlined above, I would (and do) choose the alcohol stove route.

Tutorials abound on making these stoves. I will link to a few, and then I'll share some helpful tips we have learned through putting these stoves to real use in the wilds of Washington.

HELPFUL ALCOHOL STOVE INSTRUCTION LINKS:

• About a year ago, my oldest son made a post: How to Construct a Camp Stove from a V8 Can. 
• This post from Andrew Skurka first taught us to make alcohol stoves. 
• This post from Indefinitely Wild does an informative side-by-side comparison of alcohol stoves to expensive backpacking stoves.
• This post from ZenStoves is the most comprehensive instruction on alcohol stoves we have found.

WHAT WE HAVE LEARNED: 

1. Paper hole-punches are meant for paper, not steel. Most tutorials tell you to punch holes in your cans using a regular old  $3 hole-punch (pictured on the left).  What they don't tell you, is it is VERY HARD to get enough torque to actually punch holes, they dull quickly, and they often break in the process. If you know someone who sews or scrapbooks, they may own a heavy-duty hole punch. This one (pictured on the right) is used for setting snaps and grommets. It has a variable-size hole punch and it ROCKS the other paper-punch's world. 

2. Wider cans for wider pots.  Since these stoves don't have variable settings (no high or low--just ON or OFF), you can adjust the power of your stove by the size of the can.  These are side-burner stoves so the flames jet out the sides. You don't want the flames going beyond the circumference of the pot they are heating. For larger pots, use a larger stove; smaller pots, choose a smaller stove. 

3. Wind Screens 4-1-1.  We used to pack a stiff aluminum windscreen made from roof flashing. It worked well, but it took up quite a bit of room and has sharp-ish edges, which isn't good for backpacking. Then my husband and boys used heavy aluminum foil and folded it into 3-4 piece thick rectangles about twice the diameter of their pots.  They folded those accordion style. Voila! Collapsible Wind Screens! 



4. Collapsible Stove / Pot Trivet: I began to wonder about my husband's hoarding problem when he started saving the heavy foil seals from my peanut cans. Then I saw them put to use on the trail. Brilliant man I married!  These stoves don't have little feet that put them an inch or two off the ground like store-bought stoves. So the flame is less than an inch from the ground. And here in Washington it is often muddy, and often cold or snowy up in the mountains. Other areas may be so dry, a flame that close to the ground could pose a fire-threat. The foil reflects heat back up into the pot, making the heating process more efficient. This simple foil trivet is an excellent piece to add to your alcohol stove repertoire. 

5. Fuel Storage and Use: We store our cans of fuel in a cabinet in our kitchen. It is odorless, so no big deal when we open it to fill smaller bottles to take camping.  We have found that any thicker-plastic bottles with tight-closing lids work well for carrying fuel on trips. Empty honey bears have been a go-to staple. The taller bottle pictured is from one of those Sparkling ICE Carbonated Waters. 

We bring along a little medicine measuring cup to measure the fuel as we use it. When you are depending on that fuel to cook your food, you don't want to waste a single ounce.  We have found that 20 milliliters will burn 7-8 minutes.  If we are boiling 3 cups of water for a meal, we will use 40 milliliters. This is enough to bring the water to a boil, and continue the boiling for about 8 minutes--long enough to cook most pasta, quick rice, or vegetables. 

6. Priming your pot: These are side-burning stoves, but in order to push the flames out those little holes in the side--and not just out the big opening in the top of the can--you need to prime your pot before setting it on the stove. This is done by holding the pan a couple of inches above the burning (invisible) flame. Hold the pan there for about 60-90 seconds (longer if it's really cold outside), allowing the bottom of the pot to heat and the flame to begin to move outward instead of upward. Then gently place your pot directly over the stove. 

The great and spacious internets are teeming with information on cooking with these homemade stoves. I don't claim to be an expert--we are definitely still learning as a family every time we go on a trip! But it has been so exciting to have had success with these stoves, I wanted to share our positive experience. I'd love to hear about any adventures you have cooking in the wilderness!

Be sure to check out my first and third posts in this series: 

Part 1: Cup and Pot Cozies

Part 3: Backpacking Meals

And another related post: 

How to Make a Camp Stove from a V8 Can

Participating in these link-ups.