Happy birthday to our daughter…one of my favorite hiking and camping partners.

Happy birthday to my daughter who turns 11 today.  It has been so fun exploring the outdoors with her and as a family.

I apologize, but this post is going to be a bit selfish.  Rather than share some cool nature fact or give you some tips on hiking, I want to wish my daughter a happy birthday!  We’ve had so much fun together and she has brought so much joy into my life.  Who knew it could be so much fun to spend four hours on a two mile hike with a three year old?  Or who knew there was such a thing as a pea pod, a little tiny tent for toddlers/babies to sleep in?  Now that she is 11, she is faster than me on the trail and the slopes.  The other day I saw her ski right by me because I was too slow for her.

Happy Birthday to My Daughter!

Eleven years ago on August 5th was the day that our daughter came into this world.  I know this is super cliche, but I’ll never forget that moment.  It was such an amazing thing to see her come into this world.  I had no idea how life would change.

Honestly though, one of my memories from her birth at the hospital is my thoughts when we left.  After witnessing my wife give birth to a person I just was walking around in shock.  I couldn’t believe that every single person I saw walking around had been born in the same way – they had all come out of another person!

Our Adventures Exploring The Outdoors Together

My daughter is now 11 years old.  Hard to believe how fast the time has gone by, but that is what happens when you’r having fun.

We have had so many fun times together, camping, hiking, and just playing in the outdoors.  Here are some of my favorite memories over the years.

Camping and hiking in Colorado when she was a toddler was fun.

Camping with a one year old in Colorado was new for us, but a lot of fun.

The pea pod was a crucial piece of gear when we went camping, perfect for naps or sleeping at night.

As she got older she could do more walking on her own.  We did a lot of exploring in southern and central Utah.

Three explorers ready for anything at Snow Canyon State Park.

This is her and friends in super tight slot canyon in Southern Utah. The kids loved this one because it was a bit of a squeeze for the Dads, but they could run through it easily.

Fun times hiking and camping at Great Basin National Park during the summer.

Over the past several years we have had some pretty amazing adventures.

Camping at night in the Yukon of Alaska and Canada was great. Although, we didn’t get a lot of use for our headlamps on that trip.

During a 9 day trek in Nepal. Wow that was nice.

This is a recent trip up Mount Taranaki in New Zealand where we now live.

Our most recent adventures include exploring all over New Zealand.  Together we’ve hiked a couple of the great walks – Milford Track and Routeburn Track.

Thanks for humoring me in allowing me to write a birthday wish to my daughter.  We’ve had fun adventures together so far in her first 10 years and I can’t wait to see what is next.