First Family Backpacking Trip into the Wild

Derrick and I took the kids on our first ever family backpacking trip into the wilderness this last weekend.  

We went up to Little Rock Creek Lake instead of Canyon Lake (both in the Bitterroot National Forrest), because it was supposed to be an easier hike, and our overall goal had more to do with getting the kids hooked into backpacking (so they'd be excited to go again next time) than doing the actual hike itself.  We invited the another family to join us (Nicole, Travis, Alaina and Luke- I don't use last names in here...), got our gear together (I bought Kloe an Osprey backpack second hand for TEN BUCKS, scrubbed it up and now it's good as new.  Derrin used a backpack I bought at a rummage sale years ago for about ten bucks too.  Thrifty backpacking: it is the way to go), woke up early Friday morning and headed out.  

The kids were very excited- Kloe woke up before any of us (around 5:30), and was practically bouncing with glee out the door.  We were on the trail around 8:00, trying to beat the heat.  Somehow Derrick and I were left behind while everyone raced ahead, but we have a solid policy of slow and steady.  Pacing oneself is the name of the game in backpacking.  

So... the hike went on a bit longer than some of us anticipated.  

My dearest Kloe (if you ever read this as an adult), I hope that you have some fond memories of it (?).  I realize there were some tears, but didn't you learn some great lessons like... well, what it is to hit that wall and have to push through it?  You are (were?) one tough little kid.  You may have cried when you were overwhelmed by the length and the intensity of the trail, but you pushed through it every single time.  I am proud of you.

My dearest Derrin, you were a trooper.  I think you may have found one of your new favorite things this weekend.

Some highlights from our trip (for me) included:   *The day hike we did the next day.  We trekked 3.5 miles further in, and despite the horseflies we (well, I) enjoyed seeing the wild beauty back there. *Travis told fun campfire stories (about the "Miner 49-er", which Kloe especially loved.  *Kloe says here favorite part was climbing all of the rocks.  *Derrin says his favorite part was catching six cut throat trout in a half hour.  *It was fun spending time with our friends.  A lot of bonding can occur on a hike like this one.  *We picked lots of huckleberries!  A new picking spot has been found...

All in all, we hiked 17 miles and gained 3000 ft. in elevation this weekend.

We were so tired when we finally made it back to our truck on Sunday.  After collapsing in exhaustion and cheering in celebration that we could finally stop moving, we drove into town and ordered burgers and whatever other fatty deliciousness we wanted.  It was pure bliss to just sit there and eat.  Going home and walking through our doors was heavenly.

We might go on one more backpacking trip this summer, but if it happens we will make sure it will only be a couple of miles in- and the next day there will be no extra day hiking.  

 

Beautiful

It is so amazingly, awesomely, mind-blowingly beautiful here right now.  I think today may have been the most beautiful day of the whole year.  Everything is so green, and all the little plants are pushing out their new little leaves, their flowers are blooming, and everything smells amazing.

There is something special about the light that occurs between May and the middle of July.  I'm sure there has to be some scientific reason for why the light is so beautiful, but all I know is everything almost seems to glow.  Meadows shine as I walk past them, and the shadows seem to have more saturation and contrast.  People even look more beautiful right now- I don't care who you are.  Your skin is going to glow on a day like this and you will look more beautiful to me than any other time of the year.

I want to have my camera with me more (and I am loading it in my car tomorrow) but I also don't want to get to so caught up in trying to capture this perfect light that I miss actually living in the moment and really feeling the awe that all of this beauty inspires.  

First Camping Trip of the Year

This weekend was better than I expected.

Pretty much every memorial day weekend for the last five years we have gone camping. 

Pretty much for the last five years it has rained over memorial day weekend. 

I have vowed (for the last five years) that I was never, and I mean NEVER, going camping over memorial day weekend again. 

And.  

It rained this weekend, as expected.

It was still fun though, even through all the rain and the cold wind that blew through our camp in freezing bursts.

The number of people camping at our site grew from day to day.  We were camping with Steve and Sabrina (ubber social butterfly types) so it wasn't surprising that a lot of friends had been invited. Four days of living commune style with a lot of people I don't know that well was a good thing for me.  Situations like that force me to talk to people, and least more than the prerequisite awkward 'greet then run' I usually do.  Even made some new friends.

We ate a lot of good food (Steve is a fantastic Camping Chef- he has it down to a fine art), played a lot of games (including late nights of Texas Hold 'Em, my new favorite), and spent hours sitting around a blazing campfire, talking and trying not to choke on the smoke. 

The guys did a lot of fishing, and managed to catch a trout and a pike.  I pretty much lost interest in that activity after trying to cast my line, only to discover I had cast straight to the top of a tree.  If I had been 'birding' instead of 'fishing', it would have been a really great cast.  Neither the birds or the fish were really biting, at least not to the satisfaction of my attention span, so I soon found myself back at the campfire trying to warm up.

The kids (of course) had fun.  Derrin and Cameron rode their little motorcycles around and around, sounding like giant mosquitoes buzzing in and out of our ear shot range. 

There were lots of little foresty areas, perfect for kids pretending to be deer, or being other animals of prey, hiding from their brothers and parents. 

Kloe, throughout all of the cold, rain, and wind, only wore a fleece (I was up to three layers by Sunday), and until Saturday I don't think she even bothered with wearing shoes.  Shoes would have cramped her style while she was dancing around in the mud anyways. 

We (as in grown ups) were playing a game of botchee ball when we heard Darby scream down by the water.  We ran over toward the sound, and saw red running down her face.  It was one of those fishing accidents that always seem to happen around kids- we thought at first it was a fish hook from when Derrin cast his line, but it turned out to be a strike from the giant weight needed to cast in that windy fishing environment.  Hit her little noggin' right above her hairline and gave her a little cut and a goose egg.  After that trauma, a lot of time was needed in the camper with cartoon therapy (yes, there was a television, cartoons, and video games on this camping trip).

Speaking of camping trauma, the next day I tried to show Kloe how to ride Derrin's motorcycle.  After sending her on her way, I realized I had spent a lot of time on shifting, how to use the gas handle, and where the foot brake was, but I had neglected to mention a very important tidbit- letting go of the gas is a very important factor while trying to stop. 

She took off like a bullet, and my omission of that fact became instantly apparent.  I took off running after her screaming "KLOE!!!! LET OFF THE GAAAAS!!!!" over and over, but she continued to accelerate.  She flew over ruts in the road.  She bounced over big rocks.  She blasted through all plant life.  Her feet were all but flying out behind her as she clung to the handles, in true superman fashion.  Finally there was the inevitable and impressive crash. 

I finally caught up to her, my heart doing flip-flops.  She just looked a little stunned, and then she saw my face of terror.  It then occurred to her that this was definitely a moment to cry.  So she sniffled a little bit as we (as a couple other from our group had caught up at this point) checked her over.  Fortunately,  there was just a little scrape on her tummy from when she hit the grass.  More cartoon therapy was in order at this point, so we made our way back to the trailer.

Besides that, it was all fun, games, hanging out, eating, gathering firewood, and relaxing.

The whole weekend was actually a great kick off to summer.  I'm looking forward to more weekends like this one! 

And now it's time to start the loads of camping laundry.  *sigh* Real life begins.

Is this FUN or what?!?

Muddy Little Girl Feet

Double fistin

Day One- Hair still under control.



Hot Dogs!



Steve and Bean

D n Me

Sexy Much?

Camping and Ping pong.  Why Not.

Manly art of camping.

Learning to Build a campfire

More campfire schooling

Chef Steve

Campsite

Fun with Glow in the dark sticks

Our Group



Aw, my friends!



Art and camping.  Why not.

Didn't want to leave!



Last day shot.



Beautiful Day

We went to Polson last Saturday and spent the day (and that night) with friends. We didn't have a tribal fishing license (everyone else was fishing), so we walked along the shore instead and shot some pictures (my actual preference really). No pictures of that night, but we played games until about 1:30 in the morning. I've never been a poker player, but I am a convert!!! So fun:) All in all, the weekend was beautiful.



Derrick scared the ducks for me:)





Mission Mountain Range



 







Other Parents and their youngins'



These Kids of Mine

Kloe as "Queen Ester" at a going away party we had:)

Derrin was David's best friend and King Saul's son "Jonathan"

Darby and Kloe and Anikan- The Three Princesses:-D

The Kiddies spendin' the day together




"This is so demoralizing. 
I HATE being a cat."

 

Kloe's"Clean" bedroom with new "Accessories":)

A tea party

Went for a walk this morning- beautiful and windy.

Still snow in those mountains- just hoping it doesn't come down further.

Spring Flowers