Revisiting The Past!

[AZDigger]

My first camping/fishing/hiking trip with my dad was around 1960. A road trip from Corpus Christy Texas to McAllen Tex. We camped out of the back of a 58 Ford Station Wagon on the shores of Falcon Lake. Funny what you remember as a kid. I remember two Brahma bulls fighting through the fence near our camp. The bellowing and snorted that kept us up all night for three days. I was scared to death but was assured that my dad's .22 revolver could protect us. The fishing was awesome even though the water moccasins outnumbered the fish. We were also able to get in some short hikes in the surrounding desert, avoiding the raging bulls as much as possible.

This was the only camping trip my dad ever took me on as a child. But it left a lasting impression that influenced me through out my life. The sense of adventure, exploring the unknown. I still enjoy the outdoors and made sure my children experienced the wonders of the outback where ever we lived. Some say I might have been a wealthy man had I spent more time at work, and less time in nature with my family. But the joy I experienced over the years with my family was priceless and payment enough. I consider myself a very rich man these days for making that sacrifice. I think I speak for everyone here when I say you can't put a price on hiking through Pueblo Canyon as I did this last summer, or taking a friend or loved one out to your favorite trail head. We are very fortunate to have these opportunities and enriched beyond all dreams.

[joebartels]

While that is not how I got into hiking, whenever I see kids hiking I wonder if they will grow up to be outdoor enthusiast. Based on the stories I have heard throughout the years the percentage seems highly likely. Many of which stem off of one or two trips too.

[PaleoRob]

I often wonder that too Joe. I got into the outdoors and hiking because of my parents taking us to Tahoe and Yosemite every year when I was growing up. It certainly influenced me.

[trekkin_gecko]

my parents get credit for my interest in hiking, too
spent a lot of time camping and exploring in wyoming, western nebraska, south dakota, colorado and even just around the platte and elkhorn rivers as a kid
good memories

[big_load]

My first camping trip was in 1962 or 1963. It didn't involve much hiking, but my whole family (lots of cousins, aunts, and uncles, too) were hikers from the beginning under my grandfather's influence. My parents spent their honeymoon at his deer camp in the Upper Peninsula. My cousins and I ran around the woods unsupervised whenever we got together, and we had plenty of adventures that would probably get our parents arrested for neglect today.

One of my favorite memories was scrambling up a 20 foot cliff face when I was eight years old, with practically no sense of danger. (After all, every hand- and foothold was completely obvious). All of us went up and down at least once, some of us two or three times before the adults heard what we were up to and suggested that we do something less dangerous, which turned out to be engaging in a fierce pine cone war.

[JasonCleghorn]

My dad was 48 when I was born, and retired when I was in HS. He walked *every* day, probably a minimum of 2-5 miles. I grew up on a 1000+ acre pine plantation in rural Alabama. I roamed the woods almost non-stop. We had these 30-40 foot gullies on our property that would have logs that had fallen across them. I used to RUN across those logs, like it was nothing. Of course later in life, I'd be afraid to climb ladders...

I camped, hunted, and fished pretty much my entire life growing up. My nearest neighbor was a mile away and I grew up on a farm. I had chores to do and I worked very hard with my father.

[Tough_Boots]

I grew up in the suburbs of Atlanta. My parents never took me camping or hiking. I was in the Cub Scouts but all we did was crappy arts and crafts.

[chumley]

I was in the Cub Scouts but all we did was crappy arts and crafts.

This explains a lot about you.

[skatchkins]

I was a Louisiana boy until 18. I don't think I hiked, we just walked through the woods and swamp with guns (woods to legitimately hunt, swamp just to see who could shoot a snake out from under you before you stepped on it [our snakes didn't come with fancy rattle butt things]). Our "hiking" always served some purpose whether it was hunting, metal detecting old bullets, or carrying the canoe to the lake to check our fishing line yo-yo's.
At some point early on, my family acquired my grandfather's beat up pop-up trailer and camped on a few concrete pads with that. If you didn't have a cover, you woke up wet from the dew and usually did anyway. I don't think I've camped in an established campground since.
I was in the cub scouts until I got kicked out. I didn't make it 2 months.

[Jim]

I don't really have a single experience that makes me say that is why enjoy hiking, I just do. Over all, my childhood was typical; summers in Rangoon, luge lessons. In the spring, we’d make meat helmets. When I was insolent, I was placed in a burlap bag and beaten with reeds – pretty standard, really.

[SAMBA]

Blah, blah, blah, blah!!! Y'all want to credit you parents, or the Cub Scouts, or the two tours of duty in Nam, or some other nonsense. But we, your HAZ peeps, all know your supposed passion is about trying to fool the "babes" into thinking you're a "sensitive" kind of guy because you'd chose to spend time on the trail rather than succumb to your base instincts to "chill" on the couch with a "six" or two watching NASCAR and/or WWF Wrasslin'.

[JasonCleghorn]

I don't really have a single experience that makes me say that is why enjoy hiking, I just do. Over all, my childhood was typical; summers in Rangoon, luge lessons. In the spring, we’d make meat helmets. When I was insolent, I was placed in a burlap bag and beaten with reeds – pretty standard, really.

Don't indicate the joys of a shorn scrotum, please...

[The_Eagle]

I was in the Cub Scouts

You may need to take a better look at yourself in the mirror.
That "Uniform" doesn't quite fit the way it used to I'm sure.

[Tough_Boots]

You may need to take a better look at yourself in the mirror.
That "Uniform" doesn't quite fit the way it used to I'm sure.

That's why I quit last year.

[Jim]

@Jason Cleghorn
You really should try it, it's breath taking.

[The_Dude]

My dad had to do his year in 'Nam well before I was born, so he always said he got in all the hiking and camping he wanted to in his life over there. Can't really complain about that, I think we had one family camping trip after we moved to AZ when I was 4. I always enjoyed hiking our little local mountains (Shadow & Lookout) as a kid, but the kicker for me was a summer trip with my uncle. I had just finished 6th grade, and we took off in his old F250 stocked to the gills with camping supplies and provisions. We spent a whole month blanketing Oregon and Washington to get in some fantastic stops, highlighted by Hell's Canyon, Crater Lake, Columbia River Gorge, Rainer, Olympic, Mt. Hood. We camped in the back of his truck unless we were staying somewhere for a few days and then we would set up a tent. I think I took a grand total of 4 showers that whole trip. We slept in a bed once the whole trip when we visited an old Navy friend in Coos Bay. Definitely fueled some lasting interest with that one.

[AZDigger]

My dad had to do his year in 'Nam well before I was born, so he always said he got in all the hiking and camping he wanted to in his life over there. Can't really complain about that, I think we had one family camping trip after we moved to AZ when I was 4. I always enjoyed hiking our little local mountains (Shadow & Lookout) as a kid, but the kicker for me was a summer trip with my uncle. I had just finished 6th grade, and we took off in his old F250 stocked to the gills with camping supplies and provisions. We spent a whole month blanketing Oregon and Washington to get in some fantastic stops, highlighted by Hell's Canyon, Crater Lake, Columbia River Gorge, Rainer, Olympic, Mt. Hood. We camped in the back of his truck unless we were staying somewhere for a few days and then we would set up a tent. I think I took a grand total of 4 showers that whole trip. We slept in a bed once the whole trip when we visited an old Navy friend in Coos Bay. Definitely fueled some lasting interest with that one.

Darn, now that's what I'm talking about! Sounds like an awesome adventure for a kid.