Dad Fail: an abbreviated hike to Panther's Den


Micah invited Lucy and I to join him and Steven for a hike to Panther's Den, which is one of the closer hikes to home.  During my last trip to Bulge Hole with Laura and Lucy prior to the stay-at-home order (post in the works), I tried to use the our new Olympus point-and-shoot (upgraded from TG-5 to TG-6) for some wildflower closeups, with mixed success. I had since done some reading and adjusting of settings in the camera and was excited to get out and see if I could improve.

It was forecasted to get up to near 80 degrees, which was a sharp contrast to the last hike when it was substantially cooler.  Using the Ergo in the winter, I had learned it would make Lucy and I hot, so we both wore short sleeves for the trip.  I also had to plan on how to keep the milk cool, and Laura and I discussed a few solutions and came up with what we thought would be a winner.  We forgot one crucial step though...

The hike started out well.  Both parties arrived in our separate vehicles at the same time.  I was behind Micah's truck on the last bit of the drive, so I jokingly apologized for being late.  We decided to hike most of the way in and then take photos on the way out, lest we spend all our time by the parking lot and not see the whole trail.  When we were almost to the rock formations at Panther's Den, I realized that I didn't bring a bottle, just milk!

We reasoned that we could improvise and give her milk from a bag, as if she was from Ontario, Canada.  Three smart guys should be able to make it work, right?! We got to the rocks, which was a relief; the air was 10+ degrees cooler!  I took a few pictures, checked out a rock tunnel with Lucy, and then unloaded her for a diaper change after hearing her make some thunder while we were in the tunnel.



There's a photography technique called "Intentional Camera Movement" to generate blur for artistic effect.  The was definitely "Unintentional Camera Movement", but I like the curves that resulted:

Inside the tunnel. It was actually pretty dark in there; this photo took 8 seconds:

Photo by Micah Miller
That's when it all went wrong.  I was showing her some rocks when she got "feedy".  We tried the bag and she couldn't suck it out.  We destroyed a pacifier, thinking we could use the nipple, only to realize it would be a major choking hazard.  I eventually tried to just pour some drops onto her tongue, but she kept moving and it kept getting on her face.  She wasn't pleased.  Micah tried to pour it while I held her and she choked on it.  It was not fun for anyone involved.  Some other hikers heard the screams of torture and bypassed the rocks.  

I admitted defeat, loaded her up, and headed home. Chuska dog was very concerned for Lucy and took some convincing to stay with Micah. I was crushed about Lucy being so upset, about causing her to choke, about missing out on the rest of the hike, etc.  Thankfully, she is a sweet bean, and she calmed down as soon as I started hiking again, which really helped me feel better.  I didn't stop to take pictures with the camera as planned.  The only shot I got on the way out was this small moment of beauty that I spied when I knelt in a brook to splash water on our sweaty heads (I was hustling on the way out).  


Then, she sat awake and calm in her car seat all the way home.  I love this little angel!

Anyone who knows me knows that I am a planner, and usually a list-maker.  I mean I even have a vacation packing list spreadsheet for couples trips with conditional formatting programmed into it for goodness sake!  I carried probably 20-30 pounds worth of gear today, only to forget the several-ounce bottle. We had been complacent, but today has motivated me to make a baby-hiking list for future trips.

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