Sometimes, getting away from it all means getting to it all - family wilderness trips as tests of character

The son Recreation's Founding Father, Bob Crawford, reflects on how wilderness experiences impacted the strength and character of his children and unity of his family.

I couldn't resist giving my wife, Winnie, and I some credit when, during a recent backwoods adventure in Idaho, our children displayed strength of character well beyond their twenty-something years. Maybe, just maybe, I mused, they picked up some worthwhile values from their parents.

Raising our three teenagers during the `80s, we wondered how they would respond to the challenging conditions they would face as they entered adulthood. With the American economy in a changing state and our society showing signs of stress, what were the chances our progeny would have the patience, ingenuity, integrity, and sound judgment to be successful?

In our family, we've learned that there's nothing like a wilderness trip for finding out what values guide our actions. During the last 16 years, our family has had 14 character-building adventures, including a cross-country bike trip with my oldest son, Bob, Jr,. and recent backpacking trips in the Idaho and Montana mountains with my younger son, Greg, and daughter, Stephanie. Most importantly, these travels permit vast, unbroken expanses of time with my children.

On backpacking trips, our system of alternating navigators shows how our children handle the constant uncertainty and decision-making that is the basis of all human activity. Should we take this trail or another? Shall we camp at this spot? Should we drink this water? Forget what Dad thinks--all three of our kids have their own ideas about solving problems and, independent as they are, insist that my way is not the only or the best way.

Our children believe that life is a great adventure, obstacles and all. On a trip last year, when a ranger at Bitterroot National Forest happened to mention that fires raged within 30 miles of our hiking trail, I felt proud as Greg and Stephanie looked up and said, "Onward!" They didn't want to go home. Grizzly bears, torrential rains, excessive heat--you name it, we've learned to live around it.

Likewise, I fondly recall our infamous rattlesnake encounter during a previous backpacking trip. We decided before the trip to avoid killing any of the plentiful rattlesnakes in the area because they are an integral part of the ecosystem. Naturally, we soon found ourselves within striking distance of a fat diamondback.

No one panicked. (Nor did we shoot--we don't carry real weapons because it's not a fair fight.) Instead, our oldest son, Bob, yelled "Snake!" to keep us away while he used a 15-foot tree limb to persuade our venomous friend to slither off. Throughout, we stayed calm, kept our heads clear and defied the natural instinct to run like hell.

Through these experiences, character building has been a benefit. Without integrity, you are led down paths that aren't right for you. Without good judgment, you wind up injured without medical care. Without understanding teamwork, you can't establish a hiking pace or break camp. And without stamina, you won't make it anywhere.

Our children share with Winnie and me a love of adventure and a yen for spontaneity, tempered by a need for planning. They know that when you don't know what to expect, you plan what you can and try to avoid danger. They eyeball the horizon for fires, watch their step for rattlesnakes and listen for the dead trees that could come crashing down. And they haven't shown the desire to take the easy way out.

Ironically, the farther we get from "it all," the closer we get to the stuff that's really important. There is no telling what our children will do in their lives, but at least they've learned what it's like to act on opportunities without losing their own best qualities. Judging by the experiences of our wilderness-trip tests, they are acquiring the patience, judgment, ingenuity, and self-knowledge they need to pursue their dreams and thrive no matter what difficulties they face.

COPYRIGHT 1996 National Recreation and Park Association
COPYRIGHT 2004 Gale Group