Trip Shakedown Series: Mom’s First Backpacking Trip

Trip Shakedown Series: Mom’s First Backpacking Trip

Welcome back to the Gossamer Gear trip report shakedown series! We know our community is always looking for new backcountry adventures to try and tips for preparing and packing for them with an ultralight mindset. That’s why we’ve asked our brand ambassadors to dish the details on their latest and greatest travels.

In this blog series, you’ll find:

  • Route recommendations
  • Challenges and highlights of the trail
  • Tips on how to plan your trip
  • Gear lists from our brand ambassadors

Our latest submission comes from Michelle Zhang, a trail runner, fastpacker, and backpacker who splits her time between California and Colorado. Michelle has completed single day pushes for trails such as the Ptarmigan Traverse and Timberline Trail, and has fastpacked longer trails, such as Alta Via 2. In this trip report, she shares some background on how she prepared to take her mom on her first backpacking trip in the Rocky Mountain State. We hope her insights help inspire your next trip with a friend or family member!

Tell us a little about your trip and where you went! What region did you explore? How many days or miles did you trek?

My mom and I went to the San Juan Mountains, just outside Silverton, Colorado. We did a two-day backpacking trip that covered eight miles.

What got you excited about this trip?

During my mom’s 60th birthday, she told me she wanted to go camping at least one more time, before her body wouldn’t let her do it anymore. Growing up, my parents always took us road tripping to national parks and stayed at campgrounds along the way. They loved camping! I was more than excited to propose this trip to my mom because she’d never been backpacking before, and it would be an opportunity to share a peek into my lifestyle with her. 

Tell us a little about how you packed for this trip.

I gave my mom the Kumo 36, and I packed the Mariposa 60. The hike itself was at high elevation (going up to 13,000 feet), so I wanted to make sure my mom didn’t have to face any challenges with a heavier pack weight. I asked her to just carry water and some layers for herself, and Gossamer Gear hiking poles of course! 

Everything else I put in the Mariposa, including The Two shelter, a warmer sleeping bag for my mom, a Katabatic quilt for myself, sleeping pads, Jet Boil, snacks, dinner, and water filter.

What were some of the highlights of the trip?

The highlight of the trip was showing my mom the alpine lakes and how blue they were. Getting to share my experience backpacking with her was so special, as she had never been backpacking, just car camping. 

What were some of the trip’s challenges?

The altitude was definitely challenging as we got closer to 13,000 feet. Since my mom was coming from sea level, this would be a pretty big step for her. To prepare for this, we stayed in town at about 6,000 to 8,000 feet for three days before our trip. The night before our trip, we slept at 9,000 feet to get her body ready for the backpacking trip. I made sure she was hydrating as much as possible on our hike. I also made sure she had a very light pack and didn’t have the extra challenge of carrying heavier items. 

Get Inspired to Take Less and Do More Through Shared Community Knowledge

If you’d like to follow along with more of Michelle’s adventures, you can find her on Instagram. 

Have your own stories from taking someone on their first backpacking trip? We’d love to hear them! Share your insight with us by tagging Gossamer Gear on social media (@gossamergear) and using the hashtag #takelessdomore.

Looking for more outdoor adventure inspiration? Check out some of our other articles on the Light Feet blog:

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