I had started to write a little something-something to accompany this picture blog, but then Chelsea went ahead and accidentally unplugged my computer and I lost what I had typed. So, without much ado, here are some pictures from this weekend’s backpacking trip:
Here we are gathering right before the trip started. Leah is really excited on the left, I’m in the middle looking like a cross between my mother and Stevie Van Zandt, and Asa’s on the right drinking lemonade—yes folks, just lemonade—from a beer growler. In the background you can kinda-sorta spot Matt inspecting his “spud gun,” AKA his most prized possesion. That last sentence was not intended to sound as dirty as it does.
EDIT!!!!! The above picture was taken by my friend Justin, who demanded via email that he receive credit for his brilliant photographic skills. I’m sorry for the oversight!
PS: The photos that I have not added credit to were all taken by Asa. I can’t claim that any of these are mine—I forgot my camera at home.
This is Day One. I still freaking look like Stevie Van Zandt.
Obviously, pictures don’t do the view justice. At one point, we could actually see Mount St. Helens, Mt. Hood AND Mt. Adams nearly all at the same time. Pretty damn cool.
He’s smiling, and that’s because it was before the night I woke him up frantically yelling about a threatening thunderstorm. You see, we were sleeping outside, down near the lake, when I awoke to the sound of loud, haunting thunder and quick flashes of light across the sky. Once my brain became rational—my initial thought that was Seattle was being bombed—it occurred to me that we might want to move to shelter and away from the large body of water. So I woke him up. By yelling. It only ended up raining for five minutes and Asa still doesn’t think it’s funny.
This is Blue Lake. I think we frightened off a few groups of hikers here by skinny dipping in broad daylight.
EDIT!!! You can thank Just-eee-no once again for the above photograph. THANKS JUSTIN!
The view of Tombstone Lake from our campsite—err, clearing in the woods where we pitched a tent.
Here we see Asa trying to teach Matt’s dog, Hanu, to fetch rocks. Hanu’s method for finding a sunken rock was to attempt to dredge the entire lakeshore. He only successfully retrieved one rock.
EDIT! I believe this one is a piece of Justin work as well.
On Day Two, we opted for a day hike, as some of my trip companions had hit the Wild Turkey a little hard the night before and needed a lighter load. We climbed to the top of Lemei Rock, from where we had a nice view of Mt. Adams and pretty much everything around us for miles, including the mountain goat you can see in this picture if you look closely.
We managed to find a trail up Lemei Rock that wasn’t actually a trail at all, meaning that I spent much of my time on my hands and knees looking for a foothold—much like I am doing in this picture.
At the top, we met a mother and son who had taken the bonafide trail. They took our picture.
EDIT!!! Justin did not take this picture but HIS CAMERA DID. Amazing work, Justin’s Camera!
This part of the hike reminded me of Colorado, except with smaller mountains.
Matt wanted to see if he could carry Hanu in his pack in the event the giant dog get injured. Really, though, I think he just knew how freaking cute Hanu would look stuffed into his pack. You’d think the dog would get pissed, but really, he was pretty content with the situation.
So yeah, that’s all. Isn’t southern Washington beautiful?
16 responses so far ↓
1 Jacque // Sep 7, 2006 at 12:15 pm
Awesome pictures!!! I’ve always wanted to try backpacking, but never had the opportunity or gear.
2 James Cooper // Sep 7, 2006 at 12:35 pm
Very beautiful indeed. Dang, everyone’s been off on some awesome vacation lately. I need to get my travel on. Hmm…
3 Boo // Sep 7, 2006 at 12:46 pm
Lovely views and no bank robbers or beasts. Sweet! Now, to br fair fetching rocks in water is tricky. Blue Lake through the tall pines looks like it is sort of screaming out for some skinny dipping. Not a ripple in that reflection, nice shot. The Pacific Northwest is purdy. You know after your other recent camping episodes it does sort of make sense that you would be a touch jumpy. Maybe it’ll be funny later.
Hanu does look comfy. I once carried a pup around in a purse, it was not easy getting her in there but once cradled she loved it. Maybe it’s womblike or something.
Is it correct to assume that the area was once covered with ash due to the Mt. St. Helens eruption? If so, it has bounced nack in a beautiful way. Glad you had a good time and so cool of you to share the photos!
4 travis // Sep 7, 2006 at 12:52 pm
Definitely beautiful. I spent sometime out in Eastern Oregon, in the Wallaowas, just about one year ago and it was amazing. Hurrah for mountains!
5 TimsHead // Sep 7, 2006 at 2:03 pm
So are you saying you ain’t gonna play Sun City?
Those are indeed more’n a mite purdy. I remember years ago driving to and fro Ruby Beach through the Cascades from Seattle and seeing similar striking views. We even drove through a rain forest — not a tropical, I assume — preserved by a Native American tribe and hence all the trees were intact and not clearcut.
Sounds/looks more enjoyable than my Campground of Doom adventure in Letchworth, but then you also had a fun crew … which really helps. And the dog-in-pack photo is, of course, quite adorable.
6 Oscar // Sep 7, 2006 at 2:04 pm
Sounds like a great trip. I am jealous.
7 fern_forest // Sep 7, 2006 at 3:50 pm
OMG, water came out of my nose when I clicked on the Stevie Van Zandt link. LOL.
Skinny dipping in broad daylight! What are you guys, Yoopers? I thought only we did that. Cheers to you!
that is a great group shot that the mother and son took. and what a beautiful dog! he really does look rather content in that pack. heh.
love the pic’s…now i want to move out there. plus i just read that portland is, like, the bike friendliest city EVER so that makes me want to live there even more.
8 Natalie // Sep 7, 2006 at 5:15 pm
Hey!! I went to Blue Lake this weekend as well!!! Except my Blue Lake was in South Eastern BC.
9 kaz // Sep 7, 2006 at 5:26 pm
Beautiful pictures. And you’re totally Little Steven. I saw him on stage last summer with Ringo at Radio City Music Hall.
And if you ever invite me to go campin’, I promise to leave the Newtons home.
10 thinlizzy // Sep 7, 2006 at 6:22 pm
I love the dog-in-a-pack look. Do you think Chelsea would like to ride in your backpack?
11 Boo // Sep 7, 2006 at 10:56 pm
ryc: I just cracked up at your Van Zandt avatar! You do not look like him. have you seen him lately? Good lord woman. You are a goddess!
12 rubyblue123 // Sep 8, 2006 at 2:50 pm
Hells yeah! That’s gorgeous and I’m jealous. Did you put Chelsea up at a four star hotel for the weekend?
13 anth0nyc // Sep 8, 2006 at 9:32 pm
it is beautiful. i like the doggie bag.
14 MaximaBella // Sep 11, 2006 at 10:37 am
I Love these pics, and your comment about yourself looking like Steve Van Zandt totally tickled my funny bone….and how cute is that dog??
15 Mandie // Sep 12, 2006 at 8:16 pm
I LOVE the pic of all of you!! Actually, I love all the pics. I’m glad you had such a good time!
As for my move, it was something I had to do, and I appreciate your support because I was getting little of it anywhere else. If I had not made the move, I always would have wondered. Actually, thinking of leaving does make me sad because it is such a beautiful place, as your pictures well show, but I just miss my family so very much. How do you make it work over the miles?
16 Anahita // Sep 13, 2006 at 12:51 pm
I can’t wait until I leave the flat lands of Texas!! Your pics are beautiful…and the dog in the backpack is adorable! Is Asa laughing yet? :p