Sometimes you need to ditch all the stress of life and head to the mountains. We did.
We threw some sleeping bags, a couple tents, and a frying pan into the Toyota and headed up the mountain. No pillows. Not even a utensil, although we did find a plastic fork in the car somewhere.
Now that’s camping.
Seriously, one of the stressful things about camping is remembering all the food and equipment to cook it. Because let’s face it . . . everyone gets hungry while camping.
This time we took the minimal amount and still had granola bars left over. It’s amazing what you can exist on when you must. We just took stock of what we had in the pantry and threw some food in a cooler and snacks in everyone’s backpacks . . . and that was it.
I liked that for a change.
We headed up the mountain and reached Boulder Meadows sometime around supper. Then the children found the creek.
And I started playing with my camera. He managed to come along with me.
Rock skipping lesson.
It’s part of becoming a man in Idaho.
With five brothers, she sometimes retreats to her own little world. And loves it.
And I love that she loves it.
This was camp. Isn’t it pretty and green?
Not sure if Dallas was getting a “lesson in life” talk. But surely the soda pop made it easier to comprehend.
To be a man, you must learn to wield an ax . . . and keep a lady warm with a hearty campfire.
I just love campfires. I look like a rotisserie chicken when I am standing by a campfire. All sides need to be evenly cooked.
Somewhere in between the above picture and this one, we slept. Okay, so we tried to sleep. Without pillows. Can you tell the pillow thing was slightly harder than the food thing? I sure like my pillow.
But we made it and we didn’t even get bear visitors in the night. That would have been kind of exciting.
Knife throwing contest.
You can tell by the expressions on their faces that somebody made some kind of awesome throw. I must have missed that part. I like the looking-at-their-cute-faces part.
This is their entertainment . . .
This was mine.
Actually, this was my breakfast.
I had thrown a pan of cinnamon rolls into the cooler that were lurking in my freezer. But since I avoid most gluten, I resorted to Dr. Pepper and bacon for breakfast. Bacon with lots of ash in it.
It’s called camping, folks. Not the Marriott hotel with breakfast served in bed.
This was the view over the top of my Dr. Pepper. Isn’t it awesome?!
I just adore greens and blues in nature . . . they are calming to me.
Here is where I began to get adventurous and use the manual setting on my camera. Humor me a bit.
My cute, cheap shoes that I have gotten so many comments on. People are funny sometimes. If only they knew I probably didn’t even pay $20 for them.
But I like them. And they like me.
Our camping breakfast. Nutrition is not of the utmost concern at certain times of life.
My man.
He knows how to keep his lady warm and happy.
Either this is a major introvert or a very tired young man.
Somebody had gotten home from a youth camping trip only about an hour or so before we left on this camping trip. He was plumb worn out.
I like his way of blocking out his world of younger siblings.
This one still had lots of energy.
This one still had lots of smiles.
This one . . . um, well. Words fail me.
And then there’s the other dude’s brother.
After breakfast we packed up and found a trail to an old mine.
No, that is not the mine.
That is male testosterone when it beholds a dying foe in nature. Or something that they know has the potential to make a big, loud boom.
A dead tree simply MUST be toppled over. Everyone should know that.
It was rather enjoyable to watch their antics and hear their grunting and groaning before the tree went boom. If you don’t see the boys at the bottom, look closer. It took three of them to finally lay the poor tree to rest.
And before we could finally move on up the trail.
Men. What do I know? Someday God will explain them to me. But for now, I love them hugely for their conquering spirits. This is what makes them men.
We even found a stream to refill our water bottles. Clear, cool water that came through God’s rock filtering system.
We never did find the mine. But we found a sweet, little cabin.
And the most amazing little waterfall. Isn’t that beautiful? It makes you want to sit and rest and look and drink.
And think about how big our God is.
“For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse.” Romans 1:20
This, however . . . makes me itch to get my hands on those trousers and socks and head for the nearest washing machine.
Either that or throw it boy and all into the nearest frigid mountain lake. I suppose that would work too.
Then I remember that the dirtier you are . . . the more fun you had. And this one was all over the mountain. He earned his fun.
Perhaps this was a strength contest.
The little guy got to ride on shoulders part of the way.
Big brothers are awesome!
Until you start to slip. Then you hang on for dear life.
Finally, it was time to begin the drive back home.
Off of the trail, away from the breathtaking meadow, and down the wooded mountain.
It’s beautiful.
And it is part of home.
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Naomi says
How fun! Love all the pictures. A couple weeks ago, my husband and I left the desert (and the kids!) and retreated to the mountains for a couple nights. I highly recommend it! We did bring pillows though…and a real mattress…and real food. 😉 But the air was cool and an added bonus was no phone or internet signal. So relaxing! Next time we plan to take the kids.
Kendra says
Sounds like a ton of fun!! I’ve often thought it would be fun to do it just Lowell and I . . . maybe we will sometime.
Marylou Hershberger says
Looks like fun! I’ve rough camped before but never without a pillow and at least an outhouse. 🙂
Kendra says
Actually, we did have an outhouse! I should have mentioned that . . . guess the pillow thing took precedence. 😉 I was very thankful for that outhouse, but the woods honestly wouldn’t have bothered me too much either. Ya get pretty used to them out here!
Diana says
That was lovely! And I love how you did it with minimal planning!! It’s the planning (oh, the PLANNING) that drives me nuts about trips – I love your let’s-just-GO spirit!! And what a lovely area, and beautiful pictures! I am sure that will be a wonderful memory for you all.
Kendra says
Yes, it drives me nuts, too!! If only we could exist without food for several days. 😉 But it also does add to the fun at times. We would love to go again sometime!