Summer Sunday: An Adventure with Dad

28 Jul Summer Sunday: An Adventure with Dad

It’s not easy to come up with an original Christmas gift for your dad when he’s in his 70s. After all, you’ve given him countless ties, books, and woodworking projects he doesn’t want. So when my husband Andy gave his dad Bob a backpacking trip in the San Juan Mountains, his dad’s response was an emphatic “yes!”.

But getting excited about a gift idea and actually executing it is quite a different thing. Before they even tackled the logistics of finding a week away in a jam-packed summer, they had to tackle a larger question: could they do it? Andy’s dad, an ex-marine, keeps up his fitness working in the garden. Andy has an nagging Achilles heel injury, one that gets particularly inflamed when he hikes up hill. It had been 25 years since they’d last gone on a substantial backpacking trip together, back when Andy was a boy scout and his dad, a scout leader. They had their work cut out for them before they even shouldered their packs.

Bob set about getting a personal trainer at a gym who had him “hiking” up a treadmill, lifting weights, and climbing stairs with a backpack stuffed with rocks. Andy, on the other hand, set about getting physical therapy for his ankle.

In the meantime, they became obsessed with packing as lightly as possible. While both are big foodies, they decided early on in the process that they’d only bring freeze dried meals. Dishes like Backpacker’s Pantry Chicken Vindaloo seemed a good compromise over a pasta dish that would require too much fuel to cook. Phone conservations between the two sounded like they we were planning an expedition to Antartica. “No,” I heard Andy tell his father, “we don’t need a bottom for the tent. Let’s take the tarp tent.”

Andy and his dad decided to do the Needles Mountain circuit, a five-day circuit out of Durango that Andy and I had done years ago. They’d travel through stretches of high-alpine tundra, over mountain passes, through fields of spectacular wildflowers and past pristine lakes. The only way to access the trail was to ride the Silverton-Durango train. (After they purchased train tickets, they consoled themselves that if their trip flopped as least they’d have a beautiful train ride.)

Yet while the Needles Mountain loop begins with a tourist train, it is by no means a trip meant for the average tourist. The high alpine circuit travels just over 35 miles and requires crossing streams and rugged passes and at times, crossing snowfields. Total elevation gain: 8,300 feet. This was no cupcake walk in the park.

But if there were a ever father-son combo to set a challenge upon, it might as well be a pair of ex-boy scouts. As the days to the trip counted down, a quiet optimism replaced the lingering doubt that had pervaded their phone conversations for month. Andy’s ankle was starting to feel better, and Bob, we discovered when he arrived, had taken the “get in shape” plan seriously. He was 15 pounds lighter from the winter; beneath his tanned face, it was easy to see the marine from years ago.

As I waved goodbye to the two, I couldn’t help feeling that this is the kind of trip that sons should give to their fathers more often (and perhaps that daughters should give to their mothers). Whether fishing or backpacking, sailing or kayaking, there’s something about time outside that draws us closer to those we love. And from the look on Bob’s and Andy’s faces when they returned five days later, it’s clear they felt the same. Andy had found the perfect gift for his dad: one that will undoubtetly be repeated in years to come.

If you want to do the Needles Mountain Circuit:

Allow 4-6 days for the trip. Although the Durango-Silverton Train operates twice a day, it’s best to reserve your tickets online at least two weeks in advance.

Distance: 35.9 miles one way

Elevation Range: 8,200-12,850

Trail Conditions: Everything from well-constructed and dry to wet, muddy, and loose.

Season: July-September

Trailhead: Elks Park or Needle Creek trailheads are only accessible by train or foot. Recommend starting at Elks Park and ending at Needle as you save 700 feet elevation and have a better train schedule for the return.

Guide Book: San Juan Adventure Guide, by Jeff La Frenierre, is a great resource for southwestern Colorado.