I met an at-home Dad in KY who told me to join the group called Grateful Dads. Has anybody heard about this organization? What is it all about? I'm picturing a bunch of Dads listening to Phish and Wilco while camping in the woods, but perhaps I'm wrong...
Grateful Dads?
From their website...
The Grateful Dads fathers group has been growing steadily since it was established in 1998 by Jonathan Marks, realtor with Pacific Union and founder of Grateful Graphics. The Grateful Dads was started in Marin County, California shortly after the birth of his first daughter. He saw it as a way to incorporate his love of the outdoors, desire to exercise and also give him the chance to bond with his newborn baby outside of the conventional home environment.
Jonathan spent much of his pre-family life enjoying outdoor activities of all types from rock-climbing in Yosemite to hiking in the Alps and trekking in the Himalayas. He decided that taking four month old Maddie out with other dads and their children for a hike on the Marin trails would be a refreshing way to bond with his daughter while getting a good workout at the same time.
From this seed of an idea the group has grown to include well over 300 fathers in the San Francisco Bay Area alone and has caught the eye of regional and national press. It is anticipated that the Grateful Dads will expand their activity schedule to include biking, camping, rock climbing, kayaking, and other such enjoyable outdoor pursuits with regional Grateful Dads Chapters forming all over the country.
Currently there are a growing number of established Grateful Dads Chapters around the country, all of which may be accessed through the Chapters link on the website. Additionally, the Grateful Dads is interested and happy to assist you in establishing a Chapter in your area. See our Contact page for more information
I'm hoping to hike with them in a few weeks.
I'm hoping to take my kids on a hike with the Marin, California group in a few weeks...I'll report back on the experience later in the month...
- Andy
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KCDADs: www.groups.yahoo.com/group/kcdad/
13th Annual At-Home Dads' Convention: www.athomedadconvention.com
pockets
The backpacks and daypacks of today have all kinds of crazy pockets and compartments. I am sure you can find one to put the kid in while climbing. Alternatively, wear some lightweight BDU/cargo pants and slip the little guy in one of the side pockets. Make sure you leave their head poking out or give them a straw so that they can breathe.
Ps. I've never tried this and it is probably against the law. Happy Hiking! ;)
I've still got my XL ruck
Or as some referred to it back in the day, "the house on my back." I could easily throw both kids in there, with a few necessary babbles, and it'd still be lighter than some of the rucks I had to carry way back then.
Grateful Dads sounds like fun, but I'm sure you could find some fellow SAHDs to go take a walk in the woods with.
-Will
http://www.gamingwithbaby.com all your diapers are belong to us
fatdadcooking.com coming soon!
my flickr
Update - went for a hike with Grateful Dads
Bad weather canceled my plan to go on the local Grateful Dad's hike in Feb, and concern about the vertical climb in the March hike (over 1000') bagged the March hike, but I did make it this last weekend on the April hike of the Marin/San Francisco chapter of Grateful Dads...it was exactly what I expected from their website. A bunch of Dads who are into "the outdoors" getting out with their kids for a "hike" on a Sunday morning. It's the hiker's version of the tot-show at the movie theater...everyone knows that everyone else has kids of various ages in tow and all expectations are calibrated appropriately. The group was big enough (about 10 Dads and 16 kids) that I didn't get to talk to everyone, but I enjoyed meeting the guys I did get a chance to walk with. The hike was a good length with a big vertical climb...for both the elementary and pre-schoolers who were walking on their own, as well as the Dads carrying kids in packs: just under 4 miles with a very decent climb at the very beginning of the hike to get up to a ridge that we than circled. We took about 2 1/2 hours to do the walk. Everyone did GREAT...I was really impressed with how well all the kids walked. There were a few wipe-outs, lots of snack stops, only a very tiny bit of crying, many animal sighting stops (frogs, lizards, etc), cool-rock stops, etc... lots of fun had by all. My 6 y.o. (who is capable of bitching royally about walking from the front door to the car...) had a blast and asked me about 3/4 of the way through how soon the next hike was...THAT was a mark of success. This will be a great group for us...my kids are old enough and we're involved enough in their school community that I don't have as strong a need anymore for an at-home Dad's group, but I do enjoy getting out with other Dads and kids...
If you like getting out for hikes and want to introduce your kids to hiking, I would definitely see if there is a chapter near you: http://gratefuldads.com/chapters.asp
- Andy
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13th Annual At-Home Dads' Convention: www.athomedadconvention.com
Ha! TickTock, your so funny...
I may join you next time out Andy
I looked them up a few months ago when I was in full-on "I need to hang out with guys because I'm sick of talking about nipples" mode. But I never did make it out to a hike.
Alternately, if you just want to go for a hike in SF meet me down at 4th and King and we'll walk to Fisherman's Wharf. It's a good hike. Bring a backpack :}
http://backpackingdad.blogspot.com
BPD & Andy
BPD: I think you guys would really hit it off. Andy pretends to be an intellectual too, but everyone knows that he is just a dad.
Watch out Andy, BPD is very pretty. And, he will tell you so. He also reads a lot of books with big words and no pictures.
I am going to start walking today from Ohio. Hopefully, I can get there in time for the May hike.
Who gets tired of talking about nipples?
There are pictures
They're just not pictures of puppies and Dick and Jane running somewhere. Dude, get a library card :}
http://backpackingdad.blogspot.com
Joined: 2006-11-06
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