Hiking the Butte

It was a glorious day in the Valley, with just the right amount of clouds and sun to make for a pleasant hike.  I decided to tackle the Butte, a formidable hill, even by Alaskan standards.  Being an avid hiker, I decided not to take on the easy trail, but what can only now be described as a silty slope of death.  It was quite the adventure for all of us (us, being me, Kelley and my trusty companions, Chuck and Crosby).
I found a space to park in the little lot at the base of the hill and got all geared up with my fanny pack, water bottles, camera and an extra diaper.  I leashed up the dogs, put Kelley into her silk ring sling and we were off. 
The trail immediately became steep and dusty, the silty dirt billowing behind the dogs.  I am an avid hiker, but immediately I wondered what I was thinking carrying a baby up this mountain.  I met up with a group of hikers and they informed me that this was the worst of it.  I continued trudging uphill, under a cool canopy of shady trees, stopping frequently to take a breath and a sip of water.  I released the dogs from their tethers and they went tearing up the hill, running here and there, sniffing and peeing, as boy dogs will do.

The trail soon opened and became a grassy hillside, narrow foot trails crisscrossing, some following easier grades and some aiming directly for vertical escarpments.  Kelley was comfy in her sling, although not pleased with having to wear a sun hat, and I was feeling confident that I could make it up the hill with her on my hip.  I was successful in choosing the gradual grade, carefully zig zagging back and forth as the hillside dropped away to my right, but soon found that I had led myself right to what appeared to be a silty, rocky cliff, about 100 feet from bottom to top.  I sure didn't feel like backtracking and it appeared that there were numerous foot trails leading up the face, so I decided to tackle the challenge.
I tucked Kelley's arms into the sling and cinched it tight to make sure I had my hands free, if need be.  I quickly found that I would only acheive the summit if I crawled up the face, hands finding adequate grips and feet searching for solid footing.  Thankfully, Kelley was agreeable to watching me struggle upwards and didn't flail about or fuss, allowing me to make the top relatively quickly and without incident.  All the while, my pooches were showing off, scaling the cliff easily and standing atop the ledge looking down at me with expressions that screamed "What's taking you so long?".

As I summited, I realized that I still had a ways to go to reach the top of the Butte.  I continued on, sure that I had tackled the worst, and took some time to relax as the trail I chose wove through some shady trees.  We examined the beautiful wild roses that were blooming by the thousands and Kelley took a handful of grass and began happily munching on the roughage.  The remainder of the ascent was relatively easy and I was able to quickly reach the peak. 
What a gorgeous view!  360 degrees of Alaskan finery, the Talkeetna Mountains to the West, Knik glacier to the north, Cook Inlet to the south and vibrant green Palmer farmland and broad shouldered Pioneer Peek to the east.  I could have spent hours, even days, examining the beauty I was beholding.  This was the first true summit that I had achieved since Kelley had been born and I reveled in the glory of being the only hiker to have carried a baby to the peak on this fine day. 

Kelley, too, enjoyed the view.  All the while she sat transfixed in her sling, absorbing the colors of the world below and the sky above.  I meditated for a moment on the idea that this was another first for her.  Our days are filled with firsts at this point in Kelley's life, but this one was special.  It was her first time on a mountain top; her first time looking down upon the glory of the Mat Su Valley. 
I snapped some photos and was even lucky enough to have a fellow hiker take some group pictures of the four of us, all panting from heat and fatigue, except for Kelley, who was comfy and cool in her perch. 

 All too soon, it was time for us to descend, back to the world of hustle and bustle.  I was successful in finding a relatively easy way down, following the switchbacks and every so often backtracking to find an easier route, until I once again met my nemesis; the cliff.  I peered over the edge and considered finding another way down, but I couldn't figure out any other way to descend without hiking miles out of my way. 

Once again, I made sure that Kelley was secure, tucked completely into her sling and cinched tight, and lowered myself over the ledge.  I slowly descended on my rear end, scootching slowly downhill, and finding as many sturdy footholds as I could.  With not a slip, I made it to the bottom of the escarpment and took a deep breath of relief.  We all took a short breather in the cool of a shade tree and continued back downhill toward the parking lot.  I always forget how difficult it is to go downhill; definately much more strenuous for the legs and I was utterly exhausted, but totally fufilled, when I reached the truck in one piece.
I packed up the dogs and the baby and pulled out onto the Old Glenn Highway.  I reflected upon the hike as the dogs and the baby slept in the back seat.  Another successful babywearing adventure!

Welcome!

I decided to start this blog to share my babywearing adventures in Alaska. 
My husband and I are very active people and when we found out that we were pregnant, we had many concerns about how it would affect our on the go lifestyle.  Would we still be able to go snowmaching and fishing?  Would our dogs suffer from lack of attention and exercise?  Would I have time to garden and landscape our home?  Would we become "normal" people?

The answer came in the form of a long piece of fabric.  I had seen the Moby wraps and had heard wonderful things about them so I decided to make my own!  It was very easy and that simple piece of fabric allowed me to get out mere days after having a c-section in early January of 2011.  I firmly believe that my recovery was greatly accelerated due to my exercising and that Kelley was a more calm and serene baby because I held her close.  I can thank my wrap for the ability to carry my newborn safely and comfortably, even in near zero temps and with a healing incision.

I continued to use my "stretchy" wrap on numerous adventures, and was even able to snowmachine with my baby girl at only 2 months old!  I became addicted to having my Kelley close and, as a result, I delved into the online babywearing world and even started a local babywearing group.  I wanted to share the world of babywearing with every new mom that I saw! 

I continued to make my own wraps and ring slings, testing designs and materials to find the toughest, most stylish and most comfortable baby carriers for everyday and all day use.  I am now designing and making ring slings and wraps for sale, through my business, AK Adventure Baby. 

My fears of a normal lifestyle were unfounded and I am ecstatic to say that our family has not slowed down at all.  We continue to adventure and explore on a daily basis and I must say that I've been able to do everything that I did before I had a baby.

I will continue to update this blog with all of my babywearing adventures and hope that I can inspire you to get out and stay active with your child!