The More The Merrier | John Rock Loop

Over the Summer, I had the privilege of taking my friend "J" and her 13 month old son "R" backpacking. J grew up hiking and exploring the mountains of WNC with her grandparents. However, taking a baby into the backcountry was a completely new experience for her. Having only backpacked with my daughter, Wiggle (7 months old), this would be a new experience for me too. R was starting to get the hang of walking, while Wiggle was barely getting the basics of crawling down. With the kids being in totally different developmental stages, I wasn't entirely sure what to expect on this trip.

I drove up to J's house the night before to show her all the gear we were taking, as well as how to pack a backpack. We also went over the trails we would be hiking. After considering several other short backpacking routes in Pisgah, I decided on John Rock loop. It had a little of everything: shady forest, creek crossings, and an outstanding view. It would also allow easy access to the car in case of an emergency. No matter which side of the loop we decided to camp on, we would only be a mile and a half to two miles away. And even though there would be some moderately challenging terrain in places, I was confident we could handle it.

The next morning, we loaded our kids and packs into the car and headed out to Pisgah National Forest. On the way there, She told me about a backpacking debacle she and her husband got into with some friends at Grandfather Mountain. I had to laugh because Jordan and I took a similar trip to Grandfather around the same time. While not as harrowing as their adventure, ours certainly had some unexpected moments. I told her the story of how I got my trail name on that trip. Then she asked:

"Are we going to get trail names?"

"It's possible." I said. "A good trail name comes organically. Usually from some kind of high jinx you get into, or a part of your personality that really stands out."

After taking a short detour for lunch, we reached the John Rock trailhead. Our plan was to follow the Cat Gap - Jock Rock loop clockwise about 1.5 miles to a campsite by the stream. After setting up, we would hike to the overlook and back. The steady incline and August heat had us both sweating up a storm. Of course having 25 to 30 lbs strapped to your back and another 15 to 20 on your front doesn't make it any easier. I was a little disappointed when we reached the campsite. Although it was spacious, it was badly overused. It was also directly beside the trail, offering no privacy. J wasn't keen on the idea of stopping there either. I suggested continuing on Cat Gap trail to check out the options on the other side of the loop. This would add another 1.7 miles. But if it meant finding a better place to camp, it was worth it.

The terrain got significantly tougher over the next half mile. We reached the top of each incline just to find a steeper more rugged climb waiting ahead. Having two fussy squirming passengers along for the ride only added to the struggle. Halfway through, J and I decided it would be better to go at our own paces and meet back up at the next junction. I continued ahead only stopping long enough to catch my breath. I didn't want to give the mosquitos the upper hand. To my relief, Wiggle gave up trying to escape the carrier and took a nap. The last stretch was absolutely merciless! With all the gnarly roots and jagged rocks to traverse, the last 250 ft felt more like a mile. When I finally did reached the top, an involuntary sigh of relief escaped me. J came trudging up the hill several minutes later. According to the GPS we gained nearly 500 ft of elevation in that 0.5 mile.

We took Cat Gap bypass from there. It was another mile and a quarter before we reached the next possible campsite. The trail gently meandered through thick rhododendron on flat sandy ground before taking us downhill toward the creek. This was definitely the most pleasant part of the hike so far. We found ourselves on the other side of the loopbe in no time at all.

There were at least half a dozen sites to choose from. We followed a short spur path through the ferns to a secluded spot on Cedar Rock Creek. It was perfect! We placed our tents on opposite sides of the clearing. That way there would be enough distance between us to avoid disturbing each other (and more importantly the babies) during the night. I kept Wiggle in the carrier, while J put R on the ground and kept him occupied with snacks. Although our methods differed, we both managed to get our shelters set up with minimal distractions.

Next came heating up water for Wiggle's afternoon bottle and a diaper change. I inflated her baby "camp chair" in between tasks. I mentioned this life-saving gear item in the trail journal from her first overnight trip. It's essentially a bath aid I repurposed as a seat I could put her in at camp. I buckled Wiggle into it and gave her a crinkle toy to play with. I offered to set R up in the "chair" we packed for him, but J said he was fine on the ground for now. She had made peace with the fact that he was going to find a way to play in the dirt. Trying to fight it was pointless. She was right. In just a few moments he managed to cover every inch of his hands, shirt, and face in the stuff!

It was around 5:00 when we finished unpacking everything. Hiking to the overlook would have to wait until tomorrow. Getting started on dinner before we ended up with two very grumpy kids on our hands was a much more important matter. While setting out our collapsible bowls, sporks, and dehydrated meals, I talked J through how to use the water filter. From then on she took charge of that chore, making sure there was always a canteen bag of clean water available. Which was a huge relief! Filtering water is my least favorite camp chore. Second only to hanging a line for the food bag. I kept an eye on Wiggle and R while J collected and filtered water, and she returned the favor while I boiled it.

Waiting for dinner to rehydrate gave us an opportunity to dip our toes in the creek. We found a mostly dry sandy spot in the middle the kids could sit on. Wiggle still needed some help sitting up on her own. So, I crouched down and held one of her arms for support. J warned me to keep an eye on R. Along with playing in dirt, she said he was notorious for trying to eat mulch and rocks at daycare... and that's when he got his trail name. As he and Wiggle were splashing in the water, R spotted a particularly delicious looking rock. He scooped it up and lifted it to his mouth. We both let out a sudden "NO!" and reached to intercept it. J got to him first. Thankfully, it only took R a few seconds to get over the devastation of having his "snack" swiped. We both erupted in laughter.

"I wasn't making it up!" she said.

"Yeah he's definitely a rockbiter." and then it hit me. "That's his trail name!"

She was confused.

"Rock Biter!"I repeated "Like the big stone guy from the Neverending Story. He literally eats rocks."

The timer on my phone went off letting us know dinner was ready. I packed two kinds of pasta: one with chicken and mushrooms` and one with beef and sun-dried tomatoes. J and Rock Biter shared the tomato pasta while I had the mushroom pasta. For Wiggle I packed freeze dried fruit & yogurt that I crushed up and rehydrated like baby food puree. She also got to try some of the puffed veggie straws J brought for Rock Biter. The inflatable chairs held the kids momentarily. Just long enough to feed them. While sitting beside each other, they played monkey-see-monkey-do. She showed him how to undo the velcro on his chair, and he showed her how to shove dirt and leaves into her onesie.

Although sundown was still a couple hours away, it was time to get our littler hikers ready for bed. For Rock Biter, this meant bathtime. J rinsed out her bowl and refilled it with warm water from the kettle. Then she mixed in some powdered campsuds. With the bowl in one hand and a baby under the opposite arm, J walked off into the woods. Moments later, over-dramatic wailing filled the air. All the layers of dirt Rock Biter had worked so hard to build up were being washed away!

Once she got him settled on the sleeping pad, J pulled up a white noise app on her phone to drown out some of the noises outside the tent. Meanwhile, I made Wiggle a bedtime bottle. It was still somewhere in the upper 60s, so I put her in a pair of polyester pjs. I packed heavier fleece pjs just in case it got cooler, but for now the lighter pair along with a sleep sack would do. Both kids were sound asleep by 8 p.m. It was too warm to even think about starting a fire, but the pit still served as a gathering place. J and I plopped down on the ground relieved to have some baby-free time. We spent a little over an hour chatting and going over plan for next day.

I managed to slip into my tent without waking my baby. Unfortunately, J wasn't able to do the same. She was got Rock Biter back to sleep after 30 minutes or so... but it didn't last. He woke up crying off and on for the next 6 hours. I think he eventually conked out somewhere between 4 and 6 a.m. While part of me wanted to be frustrated by the situation, having a child of my own, I get it. I'm sure there's someone out there that's had the misfortune of listening to my baby cry from a couple campsites away, and probably curses me to this day over all the sleep they lost. This was a brand new experience for Rock Biter. Expecting him to sleep soundly in a tent the first time would be silly.

Around 2 a.m. it was Wiggle's turn to cause a ruckus. She rolled into the tent wall and woke up hollering. It was much chillier now, so I grabbed my pullover and Wiggle's fleece pjs out of the clothes bag. I'd been waiting for a good opportunity to change her into them, but didn't want to disturb her. Might as well do it now! I zipped Wiggle back up in her sleep sack and curled up next to her. Laying halfway between our two pads, I spread the corner of my quilt across her. At one point during the night, she grabbed a hold of the quilt and pulled it right off me. This was definitely one of the toughest nights I've had in the backcountry. It goes up there with the time a wind storm swept over Black Balsam and the time my sleeping pad popped in Sam Knob meadow.

My daughter was ready to start the day at 7:30 sharp. Neither me nor her father are morning people. I just don't know where she gets it from. I stared at the tent ceiling for a couple minutes rehearsing how I would tell J that I couldn't make the trek up to the overlook today. Wiggle was doing gymnastics on her sleeping pad beside me. I envied her, completely energized and oblivious to the fact that the rest of us were up all night. I realized I should get some hot water going before she realized she was hungry. I sat up slowly, anticipating a massive migraine knocking me back down. To my surprise, my head didn't hurt at all! I felt a little groggy, but that was it. I guess pregnancy and motherhood has conditioned me to still be able to function when sleep deprived. It's certainly made me more relient in other ways too.

When I could hear that J was also up and moving, I put Wiggle on my hip and crawled out the tent. I asked how she was holding up. Despite barely sleeping, she felt surprisingly functional too. There really must be something to this motherly resilience thing. I asked what had Rock Biter so upset last night, assuming it had something to do with hearing unfamiliar noises or being afraid of the dark. It was J. Specifically, having to share a tent with her. She explained that he's used to sleeping alone and every movement she made disrupted him. Co-sleeping is a pretty regular thing for us at home, and a sure fire way to help Wiggle get back to bed when she's having a bad night. So, it was a surprise to hear that sharing a tent with his mom is what prevented Rock Biter (and also us) from getting any sleep.

We gathered up the essentials in between sips of coffee and spoonfuls of oatmeal. The kids were relatively content eating in their camp chairs while we prepared for our morning hike. We also did a little pre-packing. Any gear we wouldn't need when we came back for lunch was left in the tents rolled up or shoved back in its stuff sack. When breakfast ran out, Rock Biter got the urge to explore. He crawled around the fire pit dragging the limp stretched out legs of his pajamas behind him. By the time J was ready to change him, they were so caked in dirt the little sharks on them were completely camouflaged.

I took the faster pace on the way to John Rock, waiting for J at the top of each big incline. Having just the essentials on my back made it slightly easier to keep up my momentum. Going over the exposed rocks and roots in our path was also less of a challenge. Along with yellow blazes, we had tufts of white fur scattered in the dirt to guide us. As we got closer to the overlook, the hairballs became more frequent.

The trail took us downhill in the last half mile. Which gave my tired quads a much needed break. Soon, we reached a turn off for a spur path. It was uneven and narrow. A sunny break in the trees at the end told us we had reached our destination. Stepping out on the rocky outcrop, my eyes followed the steep drop off directly in front of us. We could hear the voices of other hikers not far off and concluded it must continue around the corner. I took a few cautious steps before crouching down and scooting the rest of the way on my butt. J descended closer to the brush, making it down long before me. She waited in a flat spot below laughing at my slow awkward movements. My knees wobbled as I tried to stand upright again. "I know. I'm being dramatic. I'm sure it's not as steep as it seems in my head" I admitted. "No it's definitely steep there. It was a lot better the way I went." J said gesturing toward a dip in the rock she followed.

A flatter, easier to navigate stretch was now visible to our right. Scattered across the outcrop were other hikers sitting and chatting. One pair had an old german shepherd with them. "That must be who's leaving the trail of fur!" I said. We placed our packs on a boulder at the treeline before taking a seat further down the rockface. Up here the air was cool and crisp, even with the sun shining bright. We sat with the kids in our laps for a few minutes, admiring a crystal clear view of Looking Glass Rock in the distance. J scanned the cliff a few yards away. "Now I understand all the signs about dogs back at the trailhead." I agreed. "Yeah, apparently it's happened a few times. I guess they were off leash and went over the edge." With that grim realization in mind, we decided to move back toward our stuff on the boulder.

Wiggle and Rock Biter now had a safer place to explore. Despite giving her a real snack to eat, Wiggle got a hankering for pine straw. Every time I blinked, she was raising another handful of it to her mouth. Meanwhile, Rock Biter enjoyed cruising around the boulder with a veggie straw in hand. When we felt we had taken enough pictures and sufficiently admired our surroundings, we began the clean up process. Starting with wrangling lose snack wrappers and ending with wiping down dirty hands and faces. The babies weren't too thrilled about being confined to carriers again. Thankfully, they napped for a few minutes here and there on the return trip.

Back at camp, the boiling heat and swarming bugs reminded us it was still Summer. I normally don't eat inside my tent, but if cleaning up spills or crumbs later meant avoiding pesky gnats now it was worth it! J braved the outside to cook a package of Knorr mac & cheese for her and Rock Biter. Which she said wasn't bad, except she probably should have let it rehydrate a little longer. It took us some time to finish packing everything up after lunch. Being just a mile and a half from the car, though, we weren't in any rush.

We continued on Cat Gap trail back to the parking lot. It was a pleasant downhill trek. We meandered through more rhododendron and also crossed a couple sketchy footbridges along the way. We stopped briefly at the spur trail for Cedar Rock Falls. Neither of us felt up to taking the side trip. So, I made a note of it on the GPS for next time. When we reached the car, I cranked up the air conditioning and cracked open a couple cans of sparkling water. They were warm from sitting in the backseat for two days, but that didn't make it any less refreshing. The carbonation gave the illusion of having a cold drink. "I don't think sparkling water has ever tasted so good." J remarked. "Wait until you have a post-trail burger!" I told her about the tradition Jordan and I had of getting a burger after every trip. Preferably from somewhere local. I could tell immediately she was sold. As I got ready to pull out of the parking lot I asked J what the verdict on this trip was.

"I had so much fun!" she exclaimed.

That's honestly the best compliment I could ask for. Believe it or not, I don't have a lot of friends to backpack with. It's pretty rare for one of them to take an interest in it and want to come along. I'm so glad I got an opportunity to share this important part of my life with J. For her to come away from the experience feeling not only empowered, but excited to try it again was even more rewarding.

Post-Trip Interview

Because it's a regular part of our life, my husband and I made it point to introduce our daughter to camping and backpacking early on. That way she would already be accustomed to it as she got older. I realize my experience might not reflect that of the majority. There are a lot more parents, like my friend J, who want to try backpacking with their child, but haven't had the right opportunity (or confidence) to get out there yet. So, I wanted to get her perspective and thoughts on the experience. Below, she offers some insight, advice, and encouragement for parents like her that want to dip their toes into backpacking with a baby/toddle that's a little older.

Q. What was the biggest challenge you felt you faced on the trip?

A. "The biggest challenge I faced on the trip was climbing the steepest incline on the first day (about an hour in) with our supplies on my back and my one-year-old on my front. He weighed about 23 pounds at that point and my pack was about 27, so I was carrying about 50 pounds (plus myself!) up a very steep slope that went on for quite a distance. There were points when I had to use my hands to help me step up, it was so steep! I fell solidly in the category of "averagely okay fitness" at that point - I got in about 10,000 steps a day and was used to backpacking [back carrying] my baby around town - but that part of the trail was an entirely new challenge. I surmounted the challenge by telling myself to just get to that tree... and now that one... just take 10 more steps - now look back and see how far you've come... et cetera. I kept telling myself that it was worth it and I could do it, and I definitely prayed for physical and mental strength from God to get through it! I felt so powerful (and also very tired) once I made it to the top of that incline!"

Q. Was there anything you were expecting to be a challenge that went surprisingly well?

A. "I was expecting that it would be a major challenge to keep Rock Biter out of "trouble." It was such a challenge to keep him from getting absolutely filthy crawling around everywhere (he could only string together a couple steps at that point and preferred to crawl) that I just gave up trying about 10 minutes after we got to our campsite - but after that, I had way more fun! He was having the time of his life crawling around, poking things with sticks, and eating snacks while sitting on a rock. His simple joy at the experience just made me laugh. We both had a much more pleasant time after I gave up that attempt at control."

Q. What advice would you give to parents who want to backpack with an older baby, but aren't sure where to start?

A. "If there's any way you can find a mentor to go with (whether they have a baby or not), that's how I'd recommend starting. Going with Wide Load (Jessica) took so much of the stress out of it because she had an immense amount of knowledge and lots of gear she was willing to lend me. Other than that, I would just say to do your research and go for it. There will always be an excuse you can use to talk yourself out of it. If you really want to do this, you totally can - believe in yourself and take measures to set yourself up for success, like starting with a shorter hike."

Q. What encouragement would you give to parents who have tried to backpack with a baby, but had a difficult time?

A. "I think parents are better than the average bear at sticking with things that are challenging (like raising a kid). Take what lessons you can from the circumstances that contributed to the difficulty, then take another whack at it! Even if you and/or your child have a difficult time on the trip, you are teaching them an incredibly valuable lesson: what it looks like to encounter difficulty, learn from it, and not give up." 

"As an example, another difficulty I faced on the trip was that my baby is used to sleeping by himself in a crib, and we shared a 2-person tent. He fell asleep just fine when I put him to bed by himself. However, when I joined him a couple of hours later, he fussed every time one of us moved on the sleeping pads and just could not get comfortable—and by that, I mean he woke up every 30 seconds to two minutes from about 9:30 pm until 1:30 am. Around 1:30, he was able to fall asleep in a weird position sprawled across my shoulder and chest... for about two hours, at which point my shoulder had been numb for so long it was painful. I had to move. And that led to more scream-crying from an absolutely exhausted toddler. I'll spare you the horrific details, but Rock Biter got about 5 hours of sleep and Rock Biter's Mom got about 3. In the morning, the Moms packed up camp while the babies taught each other to make various new-to-them mischiefs, and we hiked up to John Rock as planned. Was I exhausted? Yes. Was Rock Biter passed out for most of the hike up? Also yes. But we resolved to have a great time anyway and ended up making such sweet, irreplaceable memories that I'm actually looking forward to going again! Lessons learned: next time, Rock Biter is getting his own tent."

Q. What was your favorite part of the experience? Did any moments stand out to you?

A. "I have several favorite parts of my first backpacking experience! I think the peace that washed over me when I decided to just let Rock Biter be a kid and play in the dirt, followed by the joy of seeing him live his best life will stay with me always (and hopefully resurface as a reminder at times when I can't or shouldn't have the control I crave). Sitting on John's Rock with Rock Biter and sharing a fig bar with the most incredible view certainly stands out. The sense of well-earned pride in myself when I reached the top of that first major incline, exhausted, covered in sweat, but victorious, gave me the confidence to keep going throughout the rest of the trip. And oh man, taking a hot shower and absolutely annihilating a burger with Wide Load when we got back to civilization was such a relief and a sweet end to the experience! So in short, many amazing moments and memories make me excited to tackle another trail with friends and babies in the near future! Thanks to Wide Load for making it possible, minimally stressful, and unforgettably fun!"