It is that time of year again when we skedaddle out of the heat below and drive 25 minutes into the mountains to camp in the cool higher altitude so close to home.
Our usual destination: Redman Campground up in Big Cottonwood Canyon.
We always try to get camp site #13 that sits right on Big Cottonwood Creek.
(Luke at 2 1/2 month, during his first camping trip at Redman.)
This year, at two years and three months, the inevitable happened:
Papa taught him to fly fish.
Learning to strip the line...
Watch the tip, and keep one's eye on the fish.
(Yes there were small five inch trout in the stream that ran aside our camp site.
Bernie caught and released several down stream a bit. Luke didn't hook anything quite yet.)
Luke boldly touched bugs this year.
He enjoyed his breakfast time with his Daddy.
I carefully explained that when he eventually goes camping with just the guys, he should not expect to see a table cloth used.
And he probably shouldn't ask why there isn't one or suggest that there should be one.
Just guy camping usually doesn't include that sort of extra detail.
Guys do (mostly) brush their teeth when they go camping though.
Oh boy...the same log that was used during Luke's first camping trip picture was still there.
The same log on the first trip...
Pretty fun to take an update photo.
Camping means one can just walk around with a slice of bread and no one will freak out about spreading crumbs around.
Nap time and bed time is actually fun when it happens in a tent.
No need to ask twice if he wanted to go to bed!
He did have hiking boots but actually just wore his sneakers.
He soon learned that bare footing in pine needles results in foot owies.
He got pretty good at wearing his sneakers, and pulling them off every time he went inside a tent.
(And sometimes he was allowed to be totally at one with nature, save his sneakers. Falling down in the gravel and pine needles while buck naked definitely had it negative aspects.)
Part of camping is taking hikes.
Hikes: Dad hikes, two year olds ride.
Hikes: Dad hikes, two year olds ride.
And he is so cool he wears his batman sunglasses as he is carried along.
The hike was around Silver Lake, just a few minutes up the road from the campsite.
Pretty isn't it?
The hike begins.
A check to see if there are any fish.
Luke was busy studying wild flowers, in this case, a stalk of Monk's Hood.
He had acquired a rock along the way too I think.
A hike around Silver Lake is easy and on a totally flat trail.
Leave it to the guys to decide they wanted to try a more challenging hike.
The area map was consulted.
After some discussion concerning mileage and elevation gain, the guys decided to hike up to Twin Lake.
The trail starts pretty smoothly but soon is very steep.
Which way should we go?
OK, Luke says this way.
About ten minutes into the hike I was pooped out.
It was just too steep and too hot to be appealing to me.
I waved Jeff and Luke on while Bernie stayed with me in the shade.
It was just too steep and too hot to be appealing to me.
I waved Jeff and Luke on while Bernie stayed with me in the shade.
(I had hiked up to other area lakes a few years back; I have learned lakes at the end of a steep hike tend to be blue and have a nice view. I can look at the pictures of other lake hikes if I need to refresh my memory!)
After about an hour Luke and Jeff came back down the trail and we resumed our walk around Silver Lake.
By then a female moose was wading around!
Oh so cool!
Jeff and Luke shared a tent while Bernie and I had our own tent.
In the morning Luke would come over and politely knock on our tent door to be let in for morning snuggle time.
Jeff was happy to let him go wake us up so he himself could get a little extra sleep.
Luke would slip inside and carefully pull off his shoes before climbing up on the bed with us for hugs and giggles and silliness like staring at each other nose to nose until one of us finally blinked.
Guys need to split wood for the campfire.
For now the ax work is a big boy job, hauling split log to the log pile is a suitable job for a little boy.
Bernie and I camped Thursday through Sunday; Jeff and Luke joined us Thursday through Saturday morning.
Thursday and Friday afternoon, Rachel and her mom Debra and newborn Calvin came up to join us for dinner and campfire time.
Singing around the campfire with a two year old is lots of fun!
After Jeff and Luke left on Saturday morning camp just seemed rather blah.
How many years will it be before Papa, Jeff, Luke and Calvin will be heading out for "Guys Only" camp-outs?
Too soon I am thinking.
For now I claiming Redman as "Girls go camping too" camping.
(To be continued.)
6 comments:
It's nice you have these great areas so close to enjoy. Perfect fun for little ones and it seems older ones, too.
I think Luke only touched bugs that matched his sneakers. Next year, the whole family will be there and that will be double the fun. I imagine that the log will still be there.
Well, I for one am glad that 'girls go camping too'...and that they document it!
So glad I found your post! We are headed to Redman in 2 days without a reservation. Any suggestion as to what time we need to get there so that we can get a campsite? WiIl there be a line up of people waiting to get a walk up reservation?
If you get up there on a non weekend day usually you can just show up and you will have lots of spaces to chose from. Friday/Saturday are harder to get a site. Do drive the whole camp ground to find a site that suits you & your family...pros and cons as to stream side/bathroom distance/ shade etc.
Couple of tips: Solitude is just a walk away and has ice cream - yum! Silver Fork restaurant has awesome breakfasts.
Have fun!
Thank you! We are headed up on Thursday so we should be able to get a site based on what you said without showing up 3 hrs before check out time. :) Yeah, with 3 toddlers I'll be picking a site NOT near a creek! Oh, and thanks for the info about ice cream. The kids will love it. Now to get my menu planned and finish getting packed!
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