Backpacking Adventure {North Cascades}

Peter, Tim, Joseph and Zachary at departure, ready for the 9 mile trek to camp

Our family's outdoor adventures often intersect with troop trips, and this weekend's trek along the shores of Baker Lake was no exception.  This particular backpacking route finds its way onto the annual must-do list most years, but this was the first year that our whole family made the trip all together.  Our boys and Tim took the long route to camp (9 miles) with a group of Scouts and dads, and I shuttled the Baker's Dozen 15 passenger van to the south end of the trail and hiked the 4 mile trek with the younger set. 

Tim and me along the shores of Anderson Creek

Ice cold creeks and the chilly Baker Lake provided for our drinking water, recreation, and therapy for sore feet.  We could not see the glorious Mount Baker on this trip due to cloud cover, but the weather was perfect for camping.  Swimming weather?  Depends on whom you ask.

Two cooks at supper time

Camp life on the shores of Baker Lake

Old School Scouting

Peter prepares for a very cold swim in Baker Lake.

Joseph secures his hammock on the trunk of an old growth cedar tree.

Bragging rights

Fire building always makes it to the very top of the to-do list at our Boy Scout camp-outs, and this was certainly no exception.  At one point in the afternoon of day one, there were four fires burning with various levels of success simultaneously.  The grand finale came after dinner when the successful hunt for dry wood fueled a giant tee-pee style fire along the shoreline.  Years of dreaming and plotting for a floating fire were finally realized, and the spectacle at dusk drew a crowd of onlookers from the adjoining campsites at Maple Grove.

A dream come true~the boys finally secured adult permission to launch a floating fire onto the lake.

Floating fire at sundown on Baker Lake

Hiking out on day 2, the boys doubled back to offer assistance with our packs.

The boys' physical strength, endurance and super competitive natures means that the hiking pace they prefer often leaves us in the dust.  However, after completing the hike out on day two, they doubled back in comfy shoes and offered to haul our packs for us on the final stretch of the trail. Sherpa service on the mountain trails ~ doesn't get much better than this!

Triple Hamocks, Thunder & Really Dirty Socks {Camping}

Chuck, Judah, Collin, Joseph and Zac

Moments after the boys' tents were pitched, they hatched a plan to hike up the closest mountain, which they have named after themselves to celebrate a previous (perilous) summit success.   It's directly across the road from the campsite we visit each year for our annual river rafting family camp with the troop.  Judah's dad, Chuck, agreed to hike with the group of four ambitious climbers, and asked us to start a search party if they weren't back in camp by 8PM.  They arrived well before the search party was dispatched, soaking wet and dirty from the scramble over mount A-Wad.

Enoch and Peter along the shores of Icicle Creek

Campfires and plenty of tarps made camping pleasant despite the near constant deluge drenching our three day stay.  That and the wonderful company camping in our group site of course, comprised of a fine collection of Scouts and family members from our troop ranging in age from two-ish up to... adult.  We missed having a few of our super-sized families along this year, but serious health concerns for medically fragile children and newborns can put a damper on travel plans.  Our anchor family missed this year's camp-out as well, due to a family gathering in another state.  Drastic!  We had to call them from town to make sure we knew the right time to assemble for the river ride on Sunday morning.  

Caleb, Isaac, and Zac in triple hammock formation

The river rafters had a blast, despite the dismal weather for the first half of the ride.  Due to high water levels, the rapids were especially exciting this year.  Zachary was one of the first to topple out of a boat, apparently much earlier than he would have preferred, due to his feet slipping in the raft.  Peter's favorite rapids included 'boulder bend' and 'drunkards' drop.'  Passing an abandoned raft, jammed into a bridge support (crash site from the previous day's ride), our riders came face to face with the real dangers and hazards possible while river rafting.  Good news that none of those Saturday rafters from the crash into the bridge were seriously injured.

Tim (orange hat) with Peter (khaki hat) and a group of Scouts and family members ride the Wenatchee River.

One of our top stops when staying in or near Leavenworth: Our Lady of the Snows Catholic Church

A Saturday evening Mass in Leavenworth enabled us to keep our Sunday obligation.  With great anticipation we journeyed into town for an annual Mass at Our Lady of the Snows Catholic Church. We met the new pastor, Father Alex Trejo, and learned that Bishop Tyson had consecrated OLS's new outdoor "Way of the Cross" and worship space only a few days earlier.  After Mass we accepted Father Trejo's invitation to walk the Stations of the Cross as a family, reflecting at each stop on the passion and death of our Lord and the suffering he endured for our salvation.  The project is immense and when complete will provide a wonderful haven for praise, worship, reflection and fellowship.

Joseph leads us on the Way of the Cross, under construction on the sprawling grounds at Our Lady of the Snows.

Sock soup

Laundry, laundry and more laundry have marked the days following our return from the adventures in Central Washington.   The endless loads of wash not only helping us recover from the weekend away, but also preparing us for the next job: packing for Boy Scout summer camp which begins next week.  Looks like the weather will cooperate for that adventure, at least in NW Washington terms.

Bowron Lake Canoe Circuit '11 {Day 5: Isaac Lake}

Zachary packs up the kitchen table.

Isaac and Caleb load the kitchen gear into the pack amidst gear buckets and bear caches.

Peter maneuvers along the slippery rocks at our "picnic" site in the pouring rain on the shores of Isaac Lake.

One of the many awesome waterfalls along Isaac Lake

AJ discusses something important (or unimportant as the case may be) with Zachary.

Day 5 finish line: the very end of Isaac Lake

Group shelter at site #29 contains hundreds of hand-made wooden markers and graffiti messages left by passing paddlers.  A sign in the shelter reads, "Leave Your Mark" and another promises to remove any with inappropriate content. 

Our Bowron Crew warms up by the wood stove in the group shelter after a long, wet paddle.

Being prepared for the terrible weather helped, but divine providence providing a wood stove shelter on the worst night of our trip lifted our spirits considerably.  Our arrival at campsite #29, to a blazing fire tended by fellow travelers, sharing a roomy sheltered space to dry out and relax during the torrential downpour was truly the light at the end of a long day's tunnel.  The community shelter at various times during our brief stay contained:

• a pair of young bachelors from Idaho
• a pair of married "not so old" brothers-in-law from Oregon/Central Washington; (with wives/sisters left in motor homes with wine in Wells) passing around their great "Bowron" book
• a menagerie group of kayakers from Germany, Blaine, and points in between
• our crew of Boy Scouts and adult leaders (us!)
• gear strewn everywhere to dry
• community stories of the day's travels and the previous night's various stormy challenges
• a shared shovel for digging trenches to free the standing water welling up around our tents
• various make-shift kitchens making a variety of suppers
• shared tea time

Remember the lost & found Keens from Day 2?  Tim grabbed them from the beach as we launched onto Indianpoint Lake, assuming they had been abandoned by one of our crew.  Actually, they belonged to a German Kayaker, who was overheard telling her tale of woe, lamenting her lost Keens while in the community shelter at site #29.  Peter was given the role of Keen-returner, and for his efforts was rewarded with a decadent giant chocolate caramel candy bar!

This is the end... of Isaac Lake.

Kakaks approach campsite #29 in the early evening hours of a dreary day on the Bowron Lake Circuit.

Want to see more from Day 5?

• Visit the online album @ Picasa Aug 22, 2011
• Catch the video of the pounding rainstorm or the video of our peaceful approach to campsite #29 at the end of Isaac Lake

Glimpse of Day 5:

7:02AM: awake to a wet-wet-wet day; dark skies, soggy gear

8:49AM: short break from the rain after delicious oatmeal breakfast; final pack-up and loading continues

9AM: kitchen taken down, tarp shaken out; Kimberly voluntarily takes water filtration duty, it's a chore getting water to flow freely with all the sand in the system

9:23AM: nearly ready to shove off and someone jokingly asks, "Did everyone get sunscreen?"

(Unable to take notes during the Day 5 paddle; it's an extremely wet journey to the end of Isaac Lake. Made a brief stop an an inhospitable rocky, mossy alcove for lunch: giant chunks of summer sausage {carved with a pocket knife on a make-shift cutting-board-bucket-lid} and Triscuits.)

2:15PM: huddled in a covered community shelter at site #29, warming by the wood stove

3PM: water boiling on our camp stove on a picnic table inside the shelter; instant soup for everyone (a full bowl of soup splashed on the floor when bumped by the broom being used to sweep up a packet of soup mix spilled on the floor: a comedy of errors!)

3:15PM: One brave swimmer, AJ, takes a quick dip in the lake and comes to warm by the fire; card games, guessing games, whittling, visiting, staying dry in the shelter while the storm rages on with thunder and lightening.

4:48PM: Fleet of kayaks approaching shore; one paddler with a distinctly German accent says, "There might be another group here."  Indeed!

6PM: Peter and Judah prepare Chicken Yakisoba for dinner; community shelter takes on the feel of a hostel.

9:50PM: A bit of noise still coming from the shelter, now only inhabited by Boy Scouts, who have hung a few hammocks and put Thermarests on table tops, table benches, and the cement floor for a night's sleep under a real roof.

Day 5 Quote: 

"This is the creepiest camp out I've ever been on!" 

~by Peter, during the intense raging rain with thunder & lightening storm.

Bowron Lakes Canoe Circuit '07 {Day 4: Indianpoint Lake and Isaac Lake}

Morning view from our campsite on Kibbee Lake

Heading from Kibbee Lake to Indianpoint Lake, the trail showed signs of wear and tear.

Waking up to blue skies and sunshine delighted the senses.  Packing up sloppy wet gear and breaking camp took a bit longer than anticipated, but at 7:45AM we hit the uphill portage with fresh energy.  Deep ruts along the trail and muddy boggy sections made canoe carting tricky.  Arriving to the shores of Indianpoint Lake, we launched our canoes and set out paddling.  Peter rode with Tim and me again; Joseph with Ron and Linda.  Peter trolled a fishing line the entire length of the lake, and although plenty of fish could be seen jumping on the other side of the lake, none were tempted to his barb-less, bait-less hook.

Ready to begin paddling on Indianpoint Lake

Peter trolls a line as we paddle Indianpoint Lake.

Off Indianpoint Lake, we portaged all our gear and canoes over land to Isaac Lake, with a lunch break at the shoreline before paddling resumed.  PBJ on pita bread eaten in a flash before the downpour hit and we launched into Isaac Lake.  Shivering from the chill of wading during our lunch break, Peter huddled under an emergency space blanket to regain his core warmth, now a passenger of Ron and Linda.  Joseph's competitive streak came alive as he begged us to paddle hard and "win" the race to our campsite.  We agreed, under the strict requirement that no boasting would follow our victory.  (We were indeed victorious.)

Joseph eats his PBJ sandwich before we begin our Isaac Lake adventure.

A hammock for the occasion, and Little House on the Prarie's "Farmer Boy" for a read-aloud

Eager Boy Scouts landed a few minutes after us and raced to find the choicest campsites at the group site.  After another sprinkle, the sun appeared and a nice breeze provided the means to dry out our wet gear a bit.  Crew update:

• Zachary's helpful assistance with gear on the portage and also in offering to help dry out our tent touched my heart.
• T remains almost wordless, but a part of the crew all the same.  
• Eric continues to keep a very low profile, offering the occasional quip or one-liner for comic relief.  
• Patrick, seriously concerned with future bug problems, suggests rationing the OFF spray.  
• Crew leader Eddie's head remains in a book, keeps the crew on task as needed during chores.
• Casey's clever colloquialisms need frequent adult reminders to "keep it age appropriate."
• Bryant is cheerful and chatty, always ready to lend a hand.
• Isaac, wearing a rough Mohawk to match the one his dad, Ron, wore when he made the Bowron trip 30 some years ago, helps keep the crew moving in the right direction as a close ally to the crew leader, Eddie.

Grilled chicken and dirty rice, prepared by Patrick & Eric for dinner, were served on tortillas with salsa and Tabasco.  We enjoyed brownies for dessert, and a great campfire provided hours of centralized socialization.  All tucked in our tents by 8PM.

Patrick serves Tim dirty rice and grilled chicken for dinner.

Like father, like son; Isaac gets a Mohawk from his dad, Ron, who also had a Mohawk for his Bowron trip in his youth.

Enjoying dinner around the fire: Zac, Eddie, Isaac and Linda