Conquering the "King"

Dad's annual King's Peak backpacking trip. We made it to the peak this year! August 1-4

Before.

I had to put a bandaid on my foot to prevent a blister.

Ellen made a dirt face.

Perfect blister-free combination for a moment.

Made it to the meadow!

We set up camp at Henry's lake, which is about 8 miles in. It's basically flat so it's not a hard hike, just long when you're wearing a pack. But the bushwhacking at the end is always exciting, especially when you run into logs you would not have been able to see from one foot away. or 2 out of 4 people just disappear down into the bushes because they've fallen into unforeseeable rivers.

enjoying the sunset on our first night at camp

I heart this picture.

"Hey boys." I still don't understand why, but she could not hold this pose for more than literally 2 seconds at a time and it was pretty hard to get a good picture.

oh. mah. goodness. Golden Sky. uh-may-zing.

cousins!

breakfast in bed (hot cereal and hot cocoa...mmm)

right after sunrise on the morning we hiked to the peak

got a swirly? or slept with a hat on? who knows.

The bottom of ...dun dun dun...."the chute. "This picture will never do it justice. The angle looks all wrong and the top that you see, is not the top. I can't even explain it.

view looking out at the tundra (?) from the bottom of the chute. It is so pretty out there!

And... Voila! We're at the top of King's! Just that easy, just that quick. not.

Runners and primary-song-singers and wait-for-my-parents-for-2-hours and it's-my-50th-birthday fellow peakers.

The "trail" from the top of the peak, which goes down into a basin type thing. This part was a cinch to climb up after the chute. it's not near as steep. I loved climbing over all the boulders instead of just hiking, it was way fun and different than normal hiking.

so once you get down from the "trail" in that previous picture and walk a tiny ways through the basin you get to the top of the chute. when i took that first picture of this from the bottom, we were maybe a half inch (picture measurements, not real life measurements) away from that lake. This picture does a little more justice and lets you see how steep it is. Oddly enough, I like hiking up this better than hiking down. Our campsite is over by one of those 3 far lakes you see.

our favorite chute

Temperature control (down sleeping bag on head in sun-warmed tent, feet outside)

Those lawn chairs were the best idea ever. He could have sold them to us for $100 bucks and we would have done it.

Who's socks are that clean- after an 8 hour hike, no less. seriously.

Our campsite was invading the sheep grazing fields. Don't worry, if you "ruff" at them they will run away quicker than you can blink your eye.

deformed shoulder blade.

keeps your: ears warm, hat on, and your jaw warm.

I love it here. So I danced. (also. notice my "cute" outfit on this day. I even matched, imagine that.)

seasoned travellers. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

happy birthday to me

The pictures are not on my camera, they're on my sister's, so this is all you get.  These are presents from me mutha :)

this 2nd cupcake picture was unnecessary, except I'm too impressed with how good this picture turned out, to not put it up.

I.D.A.H.O.

So we went on a trip to Idaho on weekend. Don't be jealous.

yes, she brought this on our car ride. yes, she played this on our car ride. 

Here we are all ready to go off to explore the great wide world of the Idaho state parks.

Some people *ahem* had more leg room than....

...other people.

1st stop from Sunset magazine, Buffalo cafe. mmm.

He is daring.

desert, desert, dessert (ice cream), then wabam....

waiting for people to jump off the bridge!

Still waiting for people to jump off the bridge. p.s. this picture does not do Ben's calf muscles justice.

people jumped! it was cuhrazy cool. one day when I'm stupid/awesome I will jump off this bridge with a parachute.

on the bridge. and of course I don't remember what the bridge is called but it's the one that is legal to jump off... it's high.

my mom is not having fun here. she is not joking.

heart attack mom.

desert, desert, desert... wabam!

temple grounds :)

she had the best split end. ever. period. (do not ever start to look for split ends. it is dangerous to start. you'll never want to stop.)

 Next stop, 1000 Springs campground.

we had no real firewood. this is how we cooked our smores after smoking them on....

...this. you'd think this would work out alright, but no. not even a little. would you like some marshmallow with that smoke?

parents couldn't be bothered with the smore's roasting ordeal. (except they did help us collect wood) and yes. it was an ordeal.

view from our campsite

according to my picture about 10 or 11 pictures down, I believe this may be Malad Gorge?

this is where ben complained that other families "get to go to california"

that's devil water. just ask the ranger.

This is to document that they still fight the exact same way they did as when they were 5.

picnic. mmhmm.

 next stop, fairy-ville. it's a little hotel/cabins type place you can stay. it is in the middle of desert nowhere and it is surprisingly green and cute.

 Ritter island. closed because it was the end of the fiscal year. who'd-a-thunk.

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desert, desert, desert, desert, desert.....WABAM!

skillz.

The ranger gave us PONY STICKERS! ("for the kids" she said)

gypsy fest.

the tot's adorbs gorg gorge.

 My dad is a water bender. No big deal or anything. (if you don't know what that is, I have two words for you: Lettuce Leaf)

ended our trip off at the fish hatchery, which, after the letdown of the "there-used-to-be-dinosaur-ruins-here-but-now-there's-just-dust-and-signstoread," we really liked the hatchery. we saw where the grow all the baby fish. then we got to touch a 5-foot long fish that starts with an "s". even my mom touched and and she didn't scream as much as I did.

THE END.