One of the outdoor highlights of the fall was our ladies backpacking trip to Summit Lake in September, a fantastic destination for small children. My dear friend Shauna organized the trip with several of her closest girlfriends as a birthday celebration, and we really lucked out. The weather that weekend was phenomenal, the company was fantastic, and the views were breathtaking.
What I loved about this hike, which is only 2.2 miles round trip with 870 feet elevation gain, is that the scenery is stunning even though the effort required is minimal. It was perfect for my first unassisted backpacking trip with the little one. Although we’ve done several overnight trips together, I generally hand off some of the gear to friends/family so that I can carry her in my backpack. This time, I tried out the Trail Magic carrier, which attaches to your overnight backpack and allows you to carry your child on your front (pictured below).
I am glad that Peanut was willing to hike most of the way, because I have to admit that the setup isn’t the most comfortable. Although I’m a big fan of the Trail Magic carrier for what it allows you to do, it’s still a lot of weight on the shoulders. But it’s bearable for short periods, and even if your child is able to hike on their own, it’s definitely good to have in case of an emergency (or if your little can’t/doesn’t want to walk for any reason).
About halfway up, the trail passes Cottonwood Lake (above), which is beautiful in its own right but far less crowded. I set up our tent there initially because I was concerned that there may not be enough sites available at Mirror Lake given how many people I saw along the trail (mostly backpackers, actually). Although there were dozens of groups camped at Mirror Lake, in the end, we managed to snag a lovely spot at the far end of the lake, so I ran back down and grabbed the tent from Cottonwood Lake. On a future visit, however, I would certainly consider staying there instead given that you could have the entire place to yourself. In fact, because it was so empty, I went for a lovely solo swim out into the middle of the lake before heading back up to rejoin the group at camp.
We spent the evening lounging around the campsite, filtering water and cooking, and telling stories and singing around the campfire. It was magical. There’s something about having a group of open-hearted women together that makes everything in the world seem right. It feels as though this is the way it’s supposed to be. Little one and I went to bed before the rest, and I loved listening to the sounds of everyone laughing and talking from inside our tent.
The next morning, we enjoyed coffee around the campfire before leisurely packing up camp and heading back down the trail. Several of us enjoyed one last dip in the lake before making our way down to the trailhead.
I’m already planning our next visit to Mirror Lake next summer.
thetraveledtrail 