Jeff Alt

By Teri Brown

Each month, iParenting.com spotlights a father who inspires and moves us, who embodies the qualities that we all admire in a person, a man and a father. Above all, the Dad of the Month is dedicated to his children. Rich or poor, famous or not, he shines as an example of what fathering is all about.

If you think taking your toddler on a walk to the park requires forethought and planning, try taking her hiking through Ireland. Yes, you heard it right. Ireland. That's exactly what Jeff Alt, author of A Walk for Sunshine: A 2,160-mile Expedition for Charity on the Appalachian Trail (Dreams Shared Publications, 2000) and A Hike for Mike: An Uplifting Adventure Across the Sierra Nevada for Depression Awareness (Dreams Shared Publications, 2005), did this past summer.

Alt and his wife, Beth, took their 20-month-old daughter, Madison, on a weeklong hike through the Emerald Isle. It was the adventure of a lifetime, something Alt wasn't sure would happen after he and his wife of seven years began having children.

"My wife, Beth, and I have always agreed that we wanted to have one or two kids one day, but I feared that children would get in the way of our active outdoor lifestyles," says Alt. "Looking back, my fear was unrealistic. My daughter hasn't prevented me from my passions. Madison has shown me how to creatively include my child into my active life. Including Madison in my outdoor adventures has opened up an exciting chapter in my life and I wouldn't change a thing. So many of my friends proclaim that their outdoor adventures are over, using children as the reason. I don't buy this excuse anymore."

When their daughter was born, Alt was unsure when, or if, he would be able to take her hiking with him. But he says that after he and his wife began to settle into the idea of being parents, it was as if a vault door opened, revealing gems and diamonds of opportunities of how they could include Madison in their outdoor activities.

"I realized I couldn't take Madison on a dangerous Everest expedition or hiking in grizzly country but I could definitely take her hiking," says Alt. "Modifying my hike to accommodate our little one has been a blast. Madison has added to our outdoor adventures contrary to my unrealistic fear I once held."

Alt knew from his extensive exposure to hiking equipment what gear he would need, and he also knew enough to start training for it early. "Before trekking in Ireland, I took Madison on weekly hikes around the neighborhood to allow her to adjust to the routine of riding in the pack and to condition myself to carrying some very precious cargo," he says.

They made lists of what they would need, and Beth carried most of the rest of their gear in her pack while Jeff carried Madison. "We trekked the Burren Way, which had a haunting 'Lord of the Ring' feel with grass-covered ancient hills speckled with medieval granite, Walt Disney-looking castle ruins and roofless peasant rock hut remains overgrown with chest-high grass," he says.

For six days, the Alt family followed trail markers snaking along rock-fence-lined farm lanes, with the Atlantic Ocean and distant islands in view. They trekked along the massive Cliffs of Moher and over rock fences through cow and sheep pastures.

"We bedded down in cozy family-run B&Bs and dined in pubs, eating Irish beef stew, fresh battered cod and smoked salmon, washed down with Guinness," says Alt. "My daughter, Madison, washed hers down with a sippy cup full of milk. The Irish lived up to their hospitable reputation, shuttling us into town for dinner, carting our dirty laundry to the cleaners and cooking up a very hearty full Irish breakfast each morning. Having lodging at the end of the day allowed us to rid our pack of dirty diapers, get out of the unpredictable wind-lashing rain, maintain our child's bath routine and bed her down in somewhat familiar sleeping quarters."

The Alts packed a fresh lunch every day and allowed Madison out of the pack to explore whatever caught her fancy. Alt says it was an experience he and his wife will never forget. "Walking as a family was a priceless bonding experience," he says. "We were able to share our hiking passion with our child, and her smile assured us it was worth every step."

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• Talk about it!