We usually go camping over Labor Day weekend to take advantage of the three day weekend. I guess it was a particularly busy day last spring when it occurred to me to make a reservation for this fall's trip and I didn't check the calendar very closely. As it turned out, we had a reservation to go camping the weekend after Labor Day weekend. (No wonder it was so easy to get a campsite...)
It worked out all right in the end. The campground was not nearly as crowded as it would have been the week before. We didn't get to go swimming, but I think the water probably would have been quite chilly anyway. We were disappointed that the lake had been drained 2 feet, with plans to fill it up the following weekend. Note to self: perhaps reserve for TWO weeks after Labor Day next year!!
We got in before dusk on Friday and the bugs were awful. Intolerable. There was no breeze, so there was a constant swarm of supersize gnat-like creatures always around our heads. Flying into noses, eyes, ears...ew. James and I managed not to get too snippy with each other or the kids while we got the site ready.
Once we had a fire, the bugs died down a bit. And once the breeze picked up, they went away entirely. Phew...not sure we would have survived an entire weekend with their company.
Our site, which was at the end of the loop just across the road from the lake:
We even had a great climbing tree. A couple times, I'd look up and not see the kids on their bikes or on the lake shore. With just a little panic, I'd ask James where the kids were...and then I'd hear giggles from the tree.
Getting dinner started for the night: took it easy tonight with hot dogs and smores.
We had a heck of a time getting fires started every single time. The wood was slightly damp, so it got better once we started drying it over the grill grates. Even then, we never got any of our typical raging campfires. We found it did help to fan the flames, which was a chore the kids loved!
Darkness settling over the lake. Glowsticks have become a camping necessity! (They work well as nightlights in the pitch black of the tent!)
In the tent...these kids were worn out after a day at school and all evening outside!
We took a short walk down one of the lakeside trails. When we got back to the campsite, Rudy noticed his loose tooth was gone but he had no idea where he lost it! (This is the second tooth that has disappeared from his mouth without his knowledge!) Luckily, the tooth fairy knew where to find us and left a gold dollar under his pillow!
Saturday morning, we warmed up our breakfast burritos in the morning and then split up for a bit. Brady and I went for a bike ride while James and Rudy tried some fishing (with no success, unfortunately). We managed to squeeze in a quick lunch before the skies opened up. We ate lunch under the canopy, but had to take that down when the wind picked up. We spent a few hours in the tent, which the kids actually loved because we usually only sleep in the tent. What a novelty to play in the tent in the middle of the day!
Once the skies cleared, we went even further down the lakeside trail: around lizard loop (where we'd found a small lizard the day before), through hummingbird meadow (where there were tons of flowers and about a half dozen visiting hummingbirds), to fishing point and beyond. It was right beside hummingbird meadow that I noticed Brady playing with a "dead" vine on a tree; it was really no surprise when he broke out in a poison ivy rash after we got home.
Just around "beyond" Rudy spotted this guy:
...who we later learned is a timber rattlesnake. Cool!
Back at camp, trying to get another cooking fire started.
I don't remember the exact order of the meals, but we changed things up a bit this time. Pie iron pizzas, made with refrigerated pizza crust. We had pie iron "burgers" made with pre-cooked ground beef and onions, cooked in refrigerated biscuits. Pie iron sausage, egg, and cheese biscuits. Pie iron grilled ham and cheese sandwiches. Pie iron hashbrowns. Baked potatoes cooked in foil over hot coals between meals. And, of course, s'mores and 'declairs' (campfire eclairs). And some more s'mores and declairs!
(I commented to James before we left that I'd be mortified to run into anyone at the grocery store checkout with my camping food...it's such JUNK!)
Later that night...exploring by the water:
A glorious evening followed the massive downpours of the afternoon. We even had a rainbow over the mountain!
And breathtaking sunset colors...
Saturday night was cold! It was so hot at home when I was packing on Friday that it didn't seem reasonable to pack our heavy sleeping bags or too many layers. Sunday morning, when I asked Rudy how he slept, he said, "I was basically struggling to get warm all night." Mother of the year --> right here!
Sunday morning was cool, with fog floating off the lake:
We broke down camp a bit before starting on a hike in the mountains. We 'discovered' this odd abandoned structure. It looked sort of like a root cellar, since it was mostly buried in the hillside...except there was no door. We teased the kids that it was where the witches lived. We only got away with that because it was the day we were headed home; otherwise, I think we would have had a sleepless night!
Hiking...
This was before Charlie ran away. She is usually a very dependable hiker, never straying off the trail and only running ahead a bit. This time, though, she saw a deer and took off like a bat out of...you know where. We figured she'd make her way back to us eventually, but it's hard not to panic a little when we're so far from home!
Some discoveries...a bee hive on the ground, presumably discarded by a bear?
A wasp nest in the ground:
A tiny lizard, spotted by Rudy. (How does he find these things?!)
The view from the top, back towards the lake...perfect place for a break and some snacks!
Charlie's discovery on the way back down - a box turtle...
