Mountain Camping

April 20-21, 2012
I am loving it here! I don't want to leave. It's so peaceful being among these majestic pine trees and mountain views. Plus, there's nothing better than camping somewhere you can let the dogs roam free, and there are endless choices of hiking trails. Also, it's much nicer when the weather is warmer! We've had sunny and upper 60s during the day. It's been a bit of a learning curve with the high altitude and the sun. Although it seems wrong, you actually DO need sunscreen even though you are wearing fleece. :-)
Each morning, we have a campfire. Missy and Jeremiah went into town on Fri to get groceries and some other stuff. We are supposed to be on a budget, and are supposedly following a rule whereby any big purchase is considered for 30 days. But, she was bad, and bought an electric chainsaw. She's super excited about it, so I guess I can't get too mad. For some reason, Missy is really into campfires, and being able to cut her own wood is, she swears, fun for her. We've been going around with the truck picking up huge logs and bringing them back to camp for cutting. I was getting some bigguns with Jeremiah and we were huffing and puffing (so strange how even the littlest burst of activity can leave you breathless at this altitude). Jeremiah said "remember how Dad always said that firewood warms you three times". I had never heard that! The saying goes: Firewood warms you 3 tims: once when you gather it; once when you split it; and once when you burn it" Good one Dad!
This forest is a popular destination for hikers. It's fun to watch the serious hikers show up and get ready in the mornings. I've been surprised by how long it takes them to get ready. Seriously, like over 30 minutes. They check each piece of equipment, and get hooked up with snowshoes and other gear. In kayaking, we have our top 5 that every person should double check before leaving (helmet, paddle, kayak, vest & skirt). Hikers appear to have a top 100 that they have to double check. :-) On Sat morning, there were about 10 cars of people who actually hiked up the ski hill to get a run in. Seems like waaaaaaay too much effort to me. It was fun to explore the closed ski resort with the dogs. Lots more chipmonk homes amongst the piles of rubble and railroad ties.