Conniston water in the snow; 10 minutes before the weather rolled heavy fog and snow into the picture.

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A Family Of 8 Is About To Complete the Appalachian Trail https://ift.tt/2mUMhwk

At camp, 11-year-old Memory makes breakfast. And Dove, 16, makes dinner for the entire family. On the trail, Filia, 7, carries all of the family’s trash. Meet the Crawfords: An eclectic and determined family trekking the Appalachian Trail.

On March 1, 2018, Ben and Kami Crawford from northern Kentucky stood on top of Springer Mountain in Georgia with their six children, ages 2 to 16. They set their eyes on a destination 2,190 miles away.

They were determined to trek from northern Georgia to Mount Katahdin in Baxter State Park, Maine, the northern terminus of the Appalachian Trail. As far as anyone knows, they are the largest family to ever attempt this feat together.

Now, they are less than 150 miles from the terminus with a goal to finish before August 9.

Crawfords On The Trail

When I heard of their trek, I couldn’t help but reach out to offer encouragement, praise, and what many thru-hikers love most: showers, rides, and food. A few weeks ago, I had the opportunity to “trail magic” the Crawfords near my hometown in Central Vermont.

Over the course of two days, we shared a steak dinner in a parking lot for Ben’s birthday, a formal dinner at a local pub, two nights together in a trail hostel, and 25 miles of hiking across the start of New Hampshire’s rugged White Mountains.

While there was no time for a formal sit-down interview, there was plenty of conversation about what drives them to work toward their lofty goal.

Family Thru-Hike: Why Hike the AT?

During our hike together, I learned where this family’s interest in hiking the AT originated.

While most families think of trips to Disney World with their 1-year-old, the Crawfords felt that a cross-country bike trip with their first born was the perfect way to live their family ethos. The family sought to include their children as active participants in everything they did.

On their first bike trip, they serendipitously shared a night in a Damascus, Va., hostel with some thru-hikers. There, they first learned of the Appalachian Trail. The seed was planted.

The family then returned to their hometown of Seattle, Wash., and focused on growing their family and Ben’s business. They succeeded on both counts, with five more children and a business from which Ben retired at age 30.

Their lifestyle, which included homeschooling, provided them with free time to hike the Wonderland Trail, a 93-mile loop around Mt. Rainier.

On multiple trips around Rainier, they gained experience in hiking, backpacking, and working together as a family. Thankfully, the family lived close to Rainier. Ben honed his backcountry skills and confidence as a leader, with multiple summits of the mountain.

They had all but forgotten about hiking the Appalachian Trail until 2017, when Kami mentioned hiking it as a family. At that time, they determined there was nothing holding them back. All of the children were old enough and healthy, their finances were in order, and a family discussion led to a unanimous decision to do it.

On the Appalachian Trail With the Crawfords

I first met the Crawfords in the woods on the Appalachian Trail in Vermont. With a stocked YETI backpack, I brought adult- and kid-friendly cold beverages, including chocolate milk.

I hiked in with my “mid-trail magic,” and after an hour, I heard the thumping of feet and giggling voices of children. First up was 16-year-old Dove running down the trail with 2-year-old Rainier on her back.

My offer of a cold drink was greeted as she ran by with a polite, “No thank you. We are late meeting people at the road crossing.” Similar responses came from 15-year-old Seven with his sister, 13-year-old Eden, in tow. Ouch, bummer.

Then came 7-year-old Filia — surely she’d want a soda. With a huge, devious grin, she gave me another, “No, thank you.” These kids were on a mission!

A few moments later, 11-year-old Memory with parents Ben and Kami came bounding down the trail. I explained I was the person that had been “pestering” them online. They were in shock I found them, and also very excited about the cold drinks I brought along.

With four children ahead, and two others exploring patches of moss and berries, Ben, Kami, and I spent the last 3 miles of the day discussing family, life, and their trail experience.

Hiking With the Crawford Family

Our time together during this first meeting was shortlived, so I was elated when they accepted my offer to help them for a few days. I joined them on their trek into New Hampshire’s famed White Mountains.

I welcomed them into a hostel stay and would help them with a slackpack during the hike. (They would carry daypacks while I shuttled their packs ahead.)

A few nights later, I met them with all of Ben’s favorite food and beverages. We had a party in a parking lot with a handful of their hiking pals to celebrate his 39th birthday.

I hiked 16 miles with the family the next day and learned all about why they chose to hike, how they had made it this far, and what challenges they encountered.

What It’s Like to Thru-Hike With 8

Starting in March, thru-hikers always have cold and snow to contend with. In addition to sore legs, blisters, and gear adjustments, this year was unseasonably cold and snowy.

The Crawfords overcame obstacles by setting short-term goals. They discussed the goals in the morning or during evening family meetings.

Coping strategies included planned overnight town stops with warm beds, showers, and hot food. “Trail magic” at trailheads or road crossings also boosted everyone’s spirits.

What I found most impressive about the Crawford family was how they worked together as a team. I learned this the following day during a 10-mile section over Franconia Ridge. They had their full overnight packs, weighing from 27 to 44 pounds.

First, they designated jobs for each family member. Ben was responsible for carrying Rainier and his gear while Kami carried the 85-liter pack hauling the couple’s gear.

Each of the other children was in charge of their own gear and had an assigned task.

Individual Tasks: Backpacking With a Family

Dove, 16, was in charge of making dinner. Seven, 15, was in charge of a majority of the video editing in the evenings and carried all the documenting equipment: cameras, drone, laptop, and all of the necessary video editing gear. Eden, 13, was in charge of lunch; Memory, 11, was in charge of breakfast; and Filia, 7, was to carry all of the family trash.

Even more impressive was the rotation they created for carrying Rainier after mile 900 when they decided to take some of the load off of Ben. The three eldest stepped in, and soon they had a four-person rotation switching Rainier and packs every 30 minutes no matter the terrain.

There were also off-trail tasks. The kids in charge of meals bought the groceries. And Ben, Kami, Rainier, and Seven started laundry and edited videos.

The family hiked mostly in single file, with Ben and Kami always taking up the rear. There were frequent breaks and check-ins, so they were always in touch with each other.

At camp, the kids set up Ben and Kami’s tent as well as their own. Dove worked on the huge one-pot family meal, and the parents discussed the day and plans for the trail ahead.

A Family Together on the Trail

In my time with the Crawfords, I observed while Ben assumed the leadership role. There wasn’t a goal or hardship that wasn’t discussed as a team.

Multiple times during our hike (often with Jolly Ranchers and Goldfish crackers being passed around), Ben called a family meeting to discuss tired legs and the miles ahead. Forthcoming challenges were calmly discussed, with input sought from all family members.

Being 150 miles from completing the Appalachian Trail is a considerable accomplishment. But what impressed me the most was the camaraderie, positivity, and determination of all eight family members no matter the circumstances. The Crawfords are a seemingly ordinary group of folks doing a very inspiring and extraordinary thing.

The post A Family Of 8 Is About To Complete the Appalachian Trail appeared first on GearJunkie.

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Instagram vs. Reality: The Truth About Antelope Canyon https://ift.tt/2OsVGb3

Instagram photos of Antelope Canyon deceived us. On our recent visit, the ‘serene’ canyon was busier than a New York subway, and tour guides staged most of the shots.

Sure, we know that people only post their very best photos on Instagram. And we knew Antelope Canyon was bound to be crowded. But our experience wasn’t quite what we had anticipated. Here’s the truth about the place.

It’s as Beautiful as the Pictures Depict

This actually came as a surprise to us. The smooth, red-orange walls were actually smooth and red-orange. The beams of light shining down onto the sandy passageway were mesmerizing. And the contorted, narrow canyon walls were mind-boggling, soaring 100-plus feet overhead.

Every turn presented a new, breathtaking vantage point, continually wowing us along the 100-yard walk. Thankfully, the beauty of this canyon is real and exceeded the high expectations the edited Instagram photos had given us.

The Crowds Are Insane

Antelope Canyon is on a Navajo reservation near Page, Ariz., and is not governed by a federal public land organization such as the National Park Service. The only legal way to see the canyon is to go on a guided tour.

Currently, there are four “Upper Antelope Canyon” outfitters. Each outfitter gives about 18 tours per day, guiding at least 75 people on each tour. That equates to a minimum of 600 people going through the 100-yard canyon every hour between 8:30 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. The result is an astonishingly crowded, shoulder-bumping slot canyon.

There is no place in the canyon without a crowd of people. There is no quiet place in the canyon. At any given moment, you have throngs of people in front of you, behind you, and exiting the canyon to the left of you. It’s an out-and-back tour, with guides yelling for their passengers to “keep walking” or “stay to the right.”

So with these crowds, how do people get those unobstructed photos of the canyon?

Every Photo Is Staged

Especially on the photo-specific tours, guides take it upon themselves to stage the perfect photo for their paying customers. On a few occasions, we were rushed out of a room in the canyon to clear the way for a barrage of tripod-rearing visitors behind us, ready to take a shot with no people in it.

At another spot, our guide proceeded to pick up a handful of sand and toss it into the sunbeam shining through the canyon, setting up an epically staged photo of sand floating down from the rim above.

My personal favorite was when a guide ahead of us whipped out an ice scooper. After tweaking everyone’s DSLR settings and straightening-up tripods, he began to vigorously scoop sand onto a ledge, building the pile up until it cascaded down in a majestic sand waterfall to the ground below. I’ll admit, we took the chance and captured the shot along with 20 others, just after the guide scurried around the bend and out of camera view.

Along the way, our guide would stop at various points, grab someone’s camera, take a shot, and encourage us to capture that same angle with our cameras. It was helpful, no doubt. But in the end, we took very few images of our own artistic accord.

Though our particular tour was dubbed a sightseeing tour, it was dominated by photography. Putting the camera down and enjoying the view took a conscious effort. However, at the end of the day, we came home with incredible photographs that we marveled at for hours afterward.

The Canyon and Tour Are Short

Upper Antelope Canyon is the more popular and scenic section of the canyon. Its length is a mere 100 yards, and the tours are 90 minutes, including the 2-mile drive to the entrance and back. We’ve explored slot canyons that extend for miles, so the football-field length of this one surprised us.

It’s Expensive

The only legal way to explore Antelope Canyon is via a guided tour. Reservations for these tours book months in advance. In fact, we booked ours three months in advance and secured the last spots for our desired 11 a.m. time slot. Many different tours exist, such as photography tours, sightseeing tours, and those that also visit other slot canyons.

For the cheapest Upper Antelope Canyon tour, expect to pay around $50-75 per person depending on the timing. “Primetime” for the canyon, when you can expect the best lighting, is from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. For a 2.5-hour photography tour, you’ll be looking at $160 per person. The tour companies often sell out all 18 guided tours each day.

Overall, we did find visiting Antelope Canyon worthwhile. It’s a magnificent slot canyon — the most perfect one we’ve ever seen. We recommend paying it a visit, especially because you’re better prepared now for what to expect.

Sure, take some epic photos, but don’t forget to stare in awe at the natural marvel that is Antelope Canyon.

The post Instagram vs. Reality: The Truth About Antelope Canyon appeared first on GearJunkie.

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