Taking the Kids: When they are grown and lead the way in the back country

We opted to let Mel lead the way, including on a warm-up hike a few days before in the high-altitude Gunnison National Forest. It's important whenever you head into the wilderness that you have the right gear -- rain jackets, extra layers, hats and good wicking socks (no cotton) and footwear. We loved our lightweight Moab boots from Merrell, which had extra cushioning and plenty of grip for those rocks. We opted for quick-dry shirts and pants, and I was glad to have my hiking poles.

We were also glad to have my daughter Reg's All Clear Bottle (TM) from CamelBak that uses UV technology to purify water to EPA standards. As a result, we didn't need to carry as much water. She and her husband had just used the bottle when they trekked in Peru.

We had rain jackets, healthy snacks (including Honey Stinger energy chews, Matt’s Munchies organic fruit snacks, Acli-Mate that we mixed with water for extra electrolytes, chocolate (essential for my family) and lunch fixings -- salami, cheese, pita bread and mustard I'd brought back from Germany recently.

But I was still nervous -- 16 miles! At least we weren't backpacking and carrying heavy packs, I thought. Mel's boyfriend had agreed to drive over to Snowmass, where we planned to spend a few days on Snowmass Mountain in the Timberline Condos. The trick with this hike, unless you are backpacking, is getting back. Some opt to spend the night in Aspen and then hike or shuttle back. Instead, I booked us massage appointments at the Viceroy Snowmass the next morning. (Here's what I wrote about that experience.)

The beginning of the hike couldn't have been better. There were amazing wildflowers, including white Columbine and Mountain Candytuft, red Indian Paintbrush, yellow Sagebrush Buttercup, Mule's Ears sunflowers, delicate purple Elephant's Heads and Silvery Lupine ... each prettier than the next.

And as Mel promised, the ascent was fairly gradual. We reached the peak (11,800 feet at East Maroon Pass) in just four hours. We were giddy with our accomplishment. The view was spectacular -- craggy mountain peaks with ribbons of snow. We moved from fields of wildflowers, down through old growth forest with impossibly tall fir trees and, as we got closer to Aspen, the famous white-trunk Aspens with their quivering leaves.

Then the thunderstorms rolled in. The hail was pea-sized and there was lightening, ominous thunderclaps and drenching rain. We had no choice but to keep going.

Those last miles were mud puddle after mud puddle with slick rocks in between. This was "the bad," but not too bad, I conceded afterward, once I'd washed off all the mud and was dry again.

"You're hardcore!" our daughters proclaimed at dinner. "We're proud of you!"

I was proud of us too. All it took was a willingness to get out of our comfort zone and let the kids lead the way.

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