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Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 2,446
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Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 2,446 |
"I ask myself: Now what (?), over and over again. I hiked up San Gorgonio on Sunday. Nice hike, beautiful scenery, but very little sense of accomplishment. On the way back home I was thinking about my family. "My wife and 2 kids definitely put up with a lot over the past year or so as I have so selfishly sought Mt Whitney" I thought, "maybe my next goal should center around them".
So now I am seeking a new goal, one for my whole family. I want to give them something big, something that they want, and something that will inspire awe; all the things that Whitney has been for me."
So, returning to the original program, I cannot conceive of finding this out, except by asking them. We surely don't know what would be this, for them.
Good luck with the search......
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Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 748
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Joined: Jun 2008
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Seriously? Find something that will keep you happy but "inspire and awe" them too.
I have been very lucky in that my kids are just about as outdoor minded as I am... so when I was looking for that "extra" little something... we spring breaked in Zion. I had been there before so knew what the challanges were and what would keep me happy while keeping them occupied as well... hiking, horseback riding, some minor trailblazing (not in the actual NP) and climbing a couple of dryfalls.... and oh my goodness the views!!!
Last edited by SoCalGirl; 09/04/08 02:33 AM. Reason: the information highway from brain to fingertips doens't always work...
"The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes, but in having new eyes." -Marcel Proust
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Joined: Mar 2003
Posts: 116
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Joined: Mar 2003
Posts: 116 |
Was Whitney your only goal? It was a goal for me but just a little pixel in the big image. I still go every year, didn't summit this year but I tried something different that was unsuccessful. Still a good time though. I dragged my wife's son up there a few years ago so now the two of us have a few outdoorsy adventures. Not to be too much of a cliche, but the journey is important too.
I'm fortunate to live right below Mt Baldy so I have plenty of hiking opportunities, I manage to go on one long hike per month in the relatively local area. I hiked Mt Baden-Powell last month for the first time Also through my (sometimes obsessive) Whitney reading I discovered state highpointing so now that's a new goal. I won't do all 50, but maybe 40 is realistic. I had to be in Mass earlier this year for work so three of us detoured to the highpoint of Rhode Island. That's a nice 300-yard hike to the 812-ft elevation but it was still an adventure since we also hit three states in the same day and went to Newport. In June this year stepson and I got to do the highpoints of AZ, NM, OK, KS and CO over an eight-day epic. Tiring but fun and we have some great memories. Also eight total off the list, 20% of the way there for me!
Life is about balance, we all have to figure out what works for us and what works for those close to us and somehow mesh that all together. There might be plenty of different family adventures to take - I liked the earlier suggestion about tossing out wild ideas, you might learn something about everyone! My wife and I have each put our top three trips into a hat and drawn for the next vacation. We also do the Muddy Buddy and the Race/LA events just for fun. Here in SoCal there are plenty of things to do...And the Sierras are still just a few hours away. It's easy to forget how blessed we are to be in this great area.
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Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 4
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Joined: Aug 2007
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I can totally relate to this. My Girl Scouts did Mt Whitney in one day in August 2007. We celebrated for a couple of weeks and truly felt like it was a life changing experience then we all said "now what?" With a group from ages 12 through 54, we all wondered what we should do next. We decided to put our hiking feet to a good cause. We just completed (today) a 50-mile walk for Multiple Sclerosis. Six of us raised over $12,000 to fight this disease and walked 20 miles Friday, 20 miles Saturday and 10 miles Sunday in support of this cause. While these experiences were truly different, I can honestly said that the MS Walk was as challenging and REWARDING as the Whitney hike. I encourage you to apply your health and good fortune to the benefit of others in need. Good luck on your quest for a new challenge. You can find out about ours at www.mymschallenge.com. We are the Adventure Girlz.
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Joined: Aug 2008
Posts: 18
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Hey Ken, I was able to share the "Whitney Experience" with my middle of three daughters,it was this August during the apex of the perseids meteor showers...It was truly magnificent! I had a few of the guys I met at trail camp comment that they would love to be able to share the experience with their daughters as well. All my girls are quite different but all are fearless and share an adventurous spirit. I am going to surprise them with a 12 day Colorado River rafting trip in 2010. They have several cool side hiking trips included...I'm totally looking forward to it and researching the heck out of it. It seems to help with the post-Whitney depression. JDub PS This is a slideshow I made to always remember our father/daughter trip to Whitney. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ab89A8DEJZk
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