In October, I took Peanut on our first ever camping trip with just the two of us. The weather was too beautiful not to go, but I couldn’t find anyone who could join us. Initially, the idea of taking her alone worried me. But I am so glad that I set aside my fears and decided to go for it.
We stayed at the Cougar Rock Campground on the Paradise side of the mountain. When we first arrived, we went straight to the campground to set up our tent before driving to the top for a quick sunset walk around the Nisqually Vista Loop (an easy, paved 1.1 mile walk with lovely views of the mountain and the Nisqually basin).
We had such an incredible time over the next few days hiking, exploring, hanging out at camp, and just being together in one of the most spectacular places in the Pacific Northwest.
We ate many of our meals at the picnic areas near the Paradise parking area, and had these places almost entirely to ourselves. We also used these spots as diaper changing and “staging areas” before our various hikes–because we all know that hiking with a toddler involves a lot of packing and gear organizing!
The next day, we did part of the Skyline Loop. I quickly realized that we wouldn’t be able to complete the full loop, because little one wanted to stop frequently and explore at her own pace. And that was just fine with me. So instead, we branched off the main trail and started heading up a section called the “Golden Gate Trail.”
It was fairly steep, but little one was a trooper and got lots of compliments on her hiking abilities. “Good job,” she started saying to herself. And later, “Good job mommy.”
We stopped at a small stream, which was flowing down from the mountain and across the meadows before cascading over the rocks beyond the trail. It was a beautiful spot, and we visited for a while with another family who also had a toddler. We took off our shoes and soaked our feet in the cool water while the sun warmed our backs. Soon enough, Peanut was running around bare bottomed, having the time of her life. It was a perfect day.
After our hike, we headed down to Reflection Lake, just a few miles drive past the Paradise visitor’s center. We explored around the shore before setting up a picnic dinner on a blanket while we waited for the sun to set. The water eventually stilled, creating the perfect mirror image the lake is famous for.
The last morning, we took our time packing up camp and walking through the various loops of the campground. I don’t have any fantastic photos of these explorations, but I think they were some of Peanut’s favorite parts of the trip. And because of that, they were some of mine, too. Toddlers are the best teachers when it comes to learning how to take your time and immerse yourself in the moment.
We stopped by the Longmire village on our way out, before following the winding road through the forest and back to civilization. She slept like a baby the whole drive home. And we still talk almost every day about our trip to “Mount-A-Neer.”
thetraveledtrail 