Baby in a Backpack

Nicole posted another Momma & Max ski report, this time out of P16. Her ski was an inter-generational one which included her own Momma and wee Max packing along on her back.

This put me in mind of the days when I myself carted my little ones around on my back.

I’ve always preferred the solitude of the woods to participation in races and such, and so it was that one day I found myself climbing up trail #1 from Old Chelsea with my Danielle on my back (she’s now 21 so has to do her own climbing).

I had forgotten that it was the weekend of the Gatineau 55 or Keskinada* or whatever it was called that year, otherwise I would have avoided the route. But it wasn’t too crowded when I intersected the loppet course and one skier quipped “If you pass me with her on your back it’ll be really depressing.”

No danger there.

I also gave a baby backpack to my sister at one point. The printed material that came with the thing encouraged owners to write-in telling the manufacturer what the backpack was used for.

Could it be that those were days when such things were still done by snail-mail?

Anyway, my dear sister  enthusiastically wrote in that they planned to use their baby backpack to ski with. As quick as could be (by post) she got back a message saying the don’t recommend doing  that! (liability alert!)

* According to the Gatineau Loppet website Keskinada stood for
KE for Québec
SKI for cross-country skiing
NADA for Canada