This weekend my sister, her husband and myself took my Dad for a birthday hike. We thought it would be a good excuse to get back in touch with good old mother nature, get some exercise, and for the reasons mentioned previously. We decided to go to the Waterfall Glen Forrest Preserve which is part of the Forrest Preserve District of DuPage County.
The weather was really quite bad earlier in the day. 31 degrees, snowing, windy and slushy. This made for sloppy hiking conditions, and some of the waterfalls we encountered that usually can be crossed were impossible to ford. As we continued on the hike, the weather improved to the point that I had to remove layers. As they say, Chicago has all four seasons, sometimes all on the same day.
This mini-adventure covered approximately 5 miles, and there was a decent amount of muddy hills to be hiked. There were a few opportunities to cross creeks and small rivers, and in better or worse weather, that is where the prime adventuring is to be done. Overall, it was a great beginner hike, and an excellent example of something to do with Dad on his birthday.
There are several reasons why you should take your Dad for a hike for his birthday.
1. 1. All Fathers’ love the outdoors. If your Dad does not love the outdoors, there is a high chance that you have two Dads and that you are adopted. (Not that there is anything wrong with that.)
2. 2. Secondly, all Father’s have one thing in common. They are extremely cheap, and they say do not want anything for their birthday. Although it is true that most Dad’s do not actually require things, when they say that they want nothing, they really want-- GEAR. But, a hike is a great birthday activity option, it will quench your Dad’s cheapass desire to do something free for his birthday.
3. 3. A hike is a great opportunity to get out there and put some of your gear into use. Although gear is nice to have and to look at and play with, it is a lot more fun to actually use it, and scuff it up a little. On a short birthday hike, you will get to use your knife, compass, binoculars, and whatever else you want. If your Dad does not like gear, and he prefers accessories, then sorry, you are adopted. (nothing wrong with that.)
4. 4. Spend some time with family. There is no better place than in the outdoors for your Dad to hang out with the kids he may or may not have adopted.
Coming soon… I actually took my Dad for a birthday hike.
What is it that every outdoor enthusiast dreams about when he closes his eyes? No, it is not a beautiful scantily clad female climbing partner, it is GEAR. Gear-hiking boots, sleeping bags, tents, carabiners, headlamps, knives, axes, and the list goes on infinitely. Whether it is window shopping at REI or gearing up for your next adventure with Campmor, outdoor adventurers may be just as obsessive about gear as their girlfriends are with coach purses and Manolo Blahnik shoes.
For any person with a passion for the outdoors, their cache of gear is never complete, and must evolve along with technological improvements, trip requirements, and selfish personal preferences.
Over the next few days, we are going to discuss Gear. The gear we have available to us, the gear we require, and will even outline the buying process for a few items we will buy.
Cheers to Gear!
Camelback Mountain
