Family Outing to Boulder River Trail

Waterfall at our campsite.

I recently visited Boulder River Trail  with my daughter, Elizabeth, and loving wife, Ashley. It was our first family outing and we planned to stay overnight at the end of the trail. We started pretty early on a Saturday morning and arrived on the trail with plenty of time to make it to the end. The drive in was a bit rough because the road was full of potholes. The trail is supposed to be good for small children.

 My daughter is two years old and had an alright time walking on the trail and she listened well. We had to pick her up in various spots but all in all she was able to walk easily. The elevation gain was more than I had expected in certain areas. We moved slowly on the way in so we could enjoy the wilderness and our trip together. We reached the first set of waterfalls that were just off the trail quickly. It was an amazing set of waterfalls that flowed right into Boulder River. Boulder River follows the trail most of the time. My wife was having a bit of trouble with the trail since she has a knee problem so we agreed that we would set up camp at the first available spot. I was extremely proud of how well she did with her knee and how well she did on her first time. The first camping area was about a mile in on the trail, so it could easily be reached with small children. The camping area is directly in front of the second waterfall, which is four times larger than the first waterfall. It was an amazing camping spot on the trail, one of the best ones I've seen in quite sometime. Once we set up camp and pitched the tent I attempted to make a fire. The area was saturated from earlier snow and intermittent rain in the week prior to our arrival. I tried my hardest and was unsuccessful at keeping a fire going. There just wasn't enough dry wood in the area. I put out the small batch of coals that had formed from my attempt. I made some food on my stove and went into the tent with my wife and daughter to eat. The sun was on its way down and it was going to set in a couple hours. My wife was already cold and I was having trouble keeping her and my daughter comfortable. It was their first time in the wilderness so it was understandable that they weren't used to the weather. My wife and I made the decision to leave before the sun set since she wasn't comfortable. Even though I really wanted to stay I had to do what was best for my family. I wasn't upset that we had to leave since I knew my wife had given it her best. It important to remember that you always have to do what is best for the team and you may not always reach your goal. Even though it didn't go as planned I still had an amazing trip with my family that I will always remember while I'm on future hikes. 

I hope everyone has the opportunity to get out with their family this year.

My daughter riding on my backpack on the way out.

Elizabeth and Ashley as we enter the trail.

Learn. Explore. Survive.