camping 2015: what a family hike!
intrepid hikers
For our first full day on the island we scheduled a family hike. Of course, with four families to mobilize—eight adults and six kids—it took us a little while to get going. Not that anyone slept late the first night in the tents; though I did get up early enough ahead of other members of my family to get a lovely picture.
comfy and cozy, for the moment
With sandwiches, snacks, and sunscreen packed up we headed to the cafe for breakfast (lovely as always, though we did have to wait a bit for a table for all of us!). Harvey and Zion were delighted to show Nathan the toys.
sunny morning diners
Then followed a period of deep discussion, which led ultimately to a decision to keep our cars in town and take the bus to the trailhead. It was a good choice for many reasons, not least because it turns out Lijah absolutely loves riding the bus.
the Lijahs on the bus are entranced
Off the bus we took a minute to get organized, then slipped the kids' leashes (metaphorically speaking) and they were off!
tirelessly upwards
We did our best to keep up over the half-mile from the parking lot to the top of North Bubble (with 400 feet of elevation gain!), but we could never get ahead of our fearless leaders. We'd gotten such a late start it was easily lunch time by the time we hit the summit, so we stopped a bit to eat. And, you know, get a family photo.
picnic picture
With lunch over there was time to admire the views (see also this picture). The mountain isn't very tall, but it's well situated for views!
as high as the birds
The boys had done so well we figured we'd press on, and once again they were off and running—this time calling out every blaze and cairn along the way.
ever to the fore
With energy to spare at the bottom of the first mountain we thought we'd try another, smaller yet but much steeper. It was fun!
real climbing
I awarded lollipops to all hands when we reached the top.
made it!
Going back down the way we came was even harder than going up, so it was a relief to take to the carriage road for a bit. Only problem was, without the challenge of climbing the four-year-olds finally started to falter, and needed a little bit of carrying. When we turned back onto the real trail they revived, and finished out the third mile of the hike in fine spirits.
the homeward trail
The bus back to town was so crowded we Becca, Andrew, and Henry didn't make it on, but while we were worried about them—we were all short of cell service and phone batteries—we were happy enough to laze around the park while we waiting the half-hour for the next bus to roll in. Then it was back to the campground, where, with the sun setting, the bigger boys went for a swim in the pool with Leah while Kyle and Margaret worked on dinner. I was watching Lijah—except when I wasn't.
growing up: likes books and even other people!
The campfire pizzas were more spectacular than ever, but I'm only allowed one food picture per camping post, and I absolutely have to use it for the smore—if that humble name can even do it justice—that Tim created using a brownie in addition to the traditional ingredients.
epic smore
The giant marshmallows Kyle supplied helped too. Truly a fitting climax to a spectacular day of hiking!