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Crazy Dad or Crazy Cool?

Seldomski

All words are made up
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'mericuh
See people skiing with babies in front or back packs all the time. I assume they have supreme confidence in their skills.

I have seen one person do this in a resort. Baby in a backpack, going down blue terrain in spring conditions. Seems very irresponsible to me.
 

Monique

bounceswoosh
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I have seen one person do this in a resort. Baby in a backpack, going down blue terrain in spring conditions. Seems very irresponsible to me.

An instructor friend of mine - who died in February - cherished a photo of himself with his eldest son as a baby in a backpack. This would have been maybe 30 years ago? He said it wasn't allowed when his other children were small. Anyway, I don't know. I suspect the risk from all of these choices is lower than the risk the baby's going to crawl into something dangerous. (My husband, who also died in February, as a baby apparently was in one of those thingies with wheels where they can "walk" around - and rolled himself right down the basement stairs.)
 

luliski

Making fresh tracks
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When my daughter was a toddler, we lived in a second floor apartment that had no washer or dryer. To be able to get her down the stairs to the laundry room while carrying a laundry basket, I used a back carrier for her. I never strapped the harness on her. Once, I tripped on the stairs and stumbled. Luckily I caught myself before she catapulted over my shoulder. I learned my lesson, but I still did some steep hikes with her in a back carrier, just always used the harness.
 

luliski

Making fresh tracks
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It doesn't matter which way you fall if you have a baby on your back. Its not likely to end well.

Like you, I've never fallen backwards that I can recall, and have never had a camelback mishap.
I fell backwards my first time back on a (rented) mountain bike after 20 years. It was one of those whoop-de-doo features that I don't think was even on the trail part of the ride. My balance was all wrong and too far back since I was so used to my road bike, and I fell backwards (and twisted a little sideways so I didn't land on my back). After that we went up a ridiculously steep and rocky trail that I mostly walked. This is why I am afraid of not having momentum when climbing on my mountain bike.
 

T-Square

Terry
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I saw a double trailer the other day at Keystone. They were riding asphalt, though.

Here is a double I was able to photograph:

View attachment 48985

The parent must be in pretty good shape hauling that around Summit County.

I have friends that did that with their tandem. All four family members rolling down the street. The family that pedals together has a great time.
 

Jersey Skier

aka RatherPlayThanWork or Gary
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Our group didn't spend a lot of time talking about the dad or this situation, but there were quick comments from women that implied that, if that were their husband he'd be in big trouble, and I bet he couldn't wait until his wife got home to take his ride, and its bad enough that he took his kid out like that, but no helmet and a dog....

So much wrong with his decision making.

Years ago I had a customer who was a divorced dad. Had his son on one of these every weekend mountain biking on the trails by me. He said if his ex-wife ever found out she'd divorce him all over again.
 

François Pugh

Skiing the powder
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The most important thing is that strangers own the right to judge anyone's parenting decisions at all times regardless of the actual level of risk to the child.

In other news here's a handy round up of toddler suicides that many won't feel unduly aggravated by because guns

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-44772682
That's just natural selection at work. Clearly those parents' genes need removal from the pool.
 

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