A COMPROMISE

It has been nearly 2 months since I posted that I am done with the blog.  If you missed that post, you can click here to read it - 

HAPPINESS without Blogging

It has been a wonderful 2 months.  I had not realized what a burden this blog had become for me.  We have been on a few trips and I was actually unable to make myself take pictures or journal.  It was as if I was cleansing myself of all pressure that I had put on myself since starting the blog.  It felt SO GOOD!!!  Like a 20 pound weight was off my shoulders.

We just got back from an 8 day camping trip in the Kern Plateau (Southern Sierras) on the drive home I got 5 texts from friends asking when they got to see pictures from our trip, and during our trip Shane had mentioned that it was too bad I wasn't going to put pictures on the blog.......ok........point is taken.

I have to admit that I dont want to cut the cord completely.  Here is my compromise.....I will post a few of the highlight pictures but keep the writing to a minimum.  The stories just take me too long and I have so many things I enjoy more than sitting in front of the computer....So here it goes!!!

8 days of great weather.  Daytime temps were perfect, bright blue sky every day, clear moonless nights FULL of stars!

This hike was 4 miles and CRAZY elevation gain.  Nearly vertical is some places.  I complained more than the girls.  They are tougher kids than me as a 20 year old when I just started hiking.  The last mile back to camp they RAN all the way down.  CRAZY!!

AWESOME owl that followed us down a canyon and then landed right by us.

Night time temperatures were amazingly cold.  Our water was freezing before it even got dark.  We NEVER have campfires, but we found that on this trip it was impossible to not have a fire.  The minute the sun went down the temp dropped fast.  Two of the nights we were at high elevation and we had to share sleeping bags to conserve heat.  Alli and Shane could zip their bags together.  Jill had to sleep IN my bag.  Reminded me of when she was 9 months and we went camping for 3 weeks - I had to sleep in the CAR with her every night.  At least it was only 2 nights.

Jill signing the register she found.

One day we went on a 4 wheel drive road (I am NOT meant to 4 wheel drive - I thought I was going to have a heart attack!)  and found this random boulder area.  We wanted to climb to the top cuz the girls love to boulder hop.  It was a beautiful location with a gorgeous view and lots of places we could have gone up.  Can you believe we climbed to the very top of one peak and Jill found a summit register!!  The guy who left it had dated it June 2009.  We were the first to find it.  It was so exciting.

Thanksgiving day we went on a 4 mile hike along the Pacific Crest Trail.  It is so fun to think that some day we could actually hike along the entire PCT....some day....we had a wonderful relaxing time.  A very special neighbor of ours gave the girls a book on drawing Zentangles.  I had brought it on the hike and was drawing one when Jill came over and wanted to do one.  Look at this precious little face.  She is growing up so fast. 


And Shane is loving his book - A Wise Man's Fear - he was reading standing up.  Jill thought that was entertaining so she took his picture!  That night we had eggs, bacon and ham for Thanksgiving dinner.  YUM!  Now it's Sunday the 30th, we are back home and we are having Thanksgiving with the Chico clan.  We appreciate so much that we had 3 extra days to stay in the mountains.  I have 30 minutes to get our house ready for our guests.  This post took me 40 minutes.....I think that is sustainable!!  

BACKPACKING to TOWER PEAK - KID FREE!!!

Celebrating our 15th wedding anniversary and 22 years together- May 29, 2014

Backpacked 30 miles and 3,400 ft elevation gain.

From Leavitt Meadows Campground to the ridgeline above Tower Lake

Shane is always really good about picking awesome places to hike in the Eastern Sierras.  For this anniversary, it was Tower Peak in the Hoover Wilderness, right off the Sonora Pass.  The Eastern Sierras are so incredibly beautiful, I never get used to the huge granite walls, beautiful snow caped peaks and thundering waterfalls and rivers.  We always go without the girls because the hikes are usually more of a vertical climb, but I look forward to the day when the girls are able to come here.  There is no where like the Eastern Sierras.

We did not get to the parking area until 7:45 pm so we loaded up and hiked in our first 2 miles just by the light from our headlamps.   As is our typical MO - we could not find the trailhead so we head off in the WRONG direction - 5 minutes later we get back to our car and realize that we had left our trekking poles just leaning up against the car!  I guess it was good that we went the wrong way! Finally we find the direction to go and head off into the darkness.

There was no moon and the sky was filled with stars. So many stars, the milky way was crystal clear.  How I miss the milky way back in city life.  After hiking for about 90 minutes Shane and I had one of the most awesome experiences ever.  I cannot believe in all the years of backpacking that we have never experienced this, but it was amazing.....I will try to describe it, but there are no words for how this felt at 10:15 at night off in the middle of the Hoover Wilderness....some things just must be experienced:

As we were approaching what we thought was going to be our camping spot for the night, we thought we saw really low stars, lying just about the level of the horizon.  Being that we were in a canyon of pretty tall mountains, this really did not make sense.  So we stopped and turned off our headlamps to figure it out.  

We were surrounded by the pitch black of the night, but when we looked down we saw the entire night sky reflected back at us.  There was absolutely no wind, and we were elevated about 20 feel above this perfectly still lake that contained the reflection of every star in the sky.  It was a moment of amazement for me, sometimes I am stilled to the core by the beauty that is in this world.  We stared at this lake for quite a while before we continued on to set up camp.

The next morning we had a huge day ahead of us so we got up early, packed up and headed off to get as close to Tower Lake as possible.  We had about 8 miles to hike.  It took us 6 hours.  There is no way to eat enough food to keep up with what we are burning. We are just in a constant state of hunger.  (We both lost 4 POUNDS on this trip!!) 

It feels good to be hungry.  So often we just eat to eat.....it is something entirely different to eat so you don't collapse on a trail!! We never really collapsed, but we did need to take some breaks.

Shane fell in a river too....poor guy.  Not the river above, either....that would have been LOTS better.  He had to carry the bear canister with all the food and it seemed to throw off the balance in his backpack.  Unbalanced backpack and a tiny log crossing a rushing river is not a good combination.  He fell in up to his WAIST! We had to stop for a while in this meadow so his sleeping bag could dry out.

After things dried, we continued on to our destination.  This is Hawksbeak Peak, we think.....you will see though, that we have absolutely no map reading skills so that is just our best guess.

We got to our camp spot at about 4:45, after 7 hours of hiking and did not know how we were going to stay up until a decent bedtime.  We both could have gone to sleep right then.  But instead, we ate and played cribbage and read our books.  We made it until 8:00!  Our tent was full of sun, but we were exhausted....we slept until 7:45.  CRAZY!

Our view when we got up of what we thought was Tower Peak.  This amazing spire ended up being just two tiny insignificant dots on the topo map.  If you want to feel how insignificant we are in this world, go to the eastern sierras.  These peaks are just indescribably beautiful and breathtaking.  

Shane told me that we would be hiking up to the top of this.  I said, "Um...NO!" but we can get close.  So we set off to climb up about 500 ft elevation gain (1 mile) to Tower Lake and have lunch.  You know us, nothing can ever be that simple, so after eating lunch and observing a pretty cool ridgeline that went up to Tower Peak, we decided to climb another 1000 feet elevation gain (and about 1 mile). Doesnt that sound awesome!  Look at how beautiful it is:

But, it is crazy steep.  Just keep putting one foot in front of the other and eventually you get there, though!!

Once we made it to the top of the first ridgeline we decided to keep going to the next ridgeline.  That was when we realized that Tower Peak was actually BEHIND this huge spire that we had been heading towards.  The real Tower Peak is in the background of the picture at the top of this post.  We debated crossing a third ridgeline to get there, but the clouds were coming in and lighting on a ridgeline is really not that safe so we headed back down....

Getting back down is actually really fast....

The next day we had to hike out the 8 miles, but going downhill is at least less strenuous.  The problem with downhill is that is it so much harder on my feet and knees.  We were totally running out of food, our feet hurt, our shoulders ached, but there is nothing that stops us from enjoying being outside.  

There is nothing better than being outdoors relying on on our own power, the joy of seeing beautiful things and spending time with each other.  

This is what life is for.  Countdown to our 1000 mile bike trip - 10 days!!!

LET ME SHARE A SECRET WITH YOU

Every so often, Shane and I dont even follow our own advice.  I should hate to admit this fact, but really, what I love most about this post is that is shows the power we have over our own happiness and fulfillment!  We all come to every situation in our life with a choice. We can see the GOOD in things and be joyful, or we can see the BAD in things and complain, fester and moan.  Here  is our families latest journey into the joy of just being together.  

After all previous posts about how to plan hiking trips with children to be SUCCESSFUL (here......THE JOURNEY and here.....THE DESTINATION) and create experiences that allow children to enjoy the outdoors and see the value in hiking and nature you would think we could heed this advice for a local hike.  If NOTHING ELSE, then at least pick a location where we knew the girls can hike for a little while and then play if they get tired.  But no...not on Sunday.

This is what happens when we don't even follow our own advice (which, honestly, happens more often than I would like to admit, HA!!)    
CLICK BELOW TO READ MORE......

HIKING WITH CHILDREN - DESTINATION OR BUST.....

Alli and Jill at the top of Golden Throne in Capital Reef National Park, Utah

Now that you know that hiking with children is all about the JOURNEY and not the DESTINATION....let's go one step further and talk about some ways to make that journey FUN, FUN, FUN and also talk about how to ensure that you can eventually HIKE to a DESTINATION with your children. It may seem impossible when you have small children to even think about hiking distance or elevation, but I would argue that anything is possible (eventually) when you go at the pace of your youngest/slowest....take as many breaks as necessary.....and make it FUN!!!

CLICK BELOW TO READ MORE

Hiking with kids - It is the JOURNEY not the Destination!

 I know this is one of the most over used cliches, but when hiking with children, it could not be more true.  Prior to having children, Shane and I spent all of our free time hiking, biking, camping and backpacking.  We wanted to continue our active lifestyle even after we had children, so we had to devise a way for this to work.  From early on, Shane and I made it a priority to make sure the girls appreciated and had a true DESIRE to be outside and be active. 

CLICK BELOW TO READ MORE

Christmas Vacation in Olympia

I know it would be a great disappointment if a vacation of ours were to begin in any standard boring fashion. Our latest trip will be no such disappointment! Shane and I planned to get up at 4am to start our 12 hour drive to Olympia, but at 2:50 we woke up and decided we might as well leave. After 30 minutes of loading the car with last minute food and such, we woke up the girls. 

 Now, you tell me...if it was 3:40am, pitch dark and you were going to be driving for 12 hours, how many of you would just fall back asleep in the car? For some reason, none of us are able to sleep in a car....everyone's day started by 4am!! The girls were not too happy about the flash from me taking this picture, but they were ULTRA excited about leaving for our trip to Olympia. Here they are at 4am –

Shane and I used to do this all the time pre-children. We would be on a trip in Canada with the plan of driving home to So Cal in two day chunks, but instead we would just drive 24 straight hours. This type of travel had been put on hold seeing that we have had to be responsible parents. But, we have rediscovered that this is a great way to travel, even with kids. 

We got to Olympia at 2pm, which was just GREAT! We had the remainder of the day to relax and hang out, an early bedtime and then fun times with Shane's family the next day. 

Christmas Eve was a great day of family and feasting and Christmas Day came and went FAST! Great visits with family and lots of yummy food.

Jill finally got a bike that fits her perfect. Dax at Greenline Cycles set us up with a bright orange 20” BMX bike.
Thanks DAX!!!  

Then, I was blessed with a BEAUTIFUL custom painting from a family friend at Kate's Paints.  Her art is amazing and I really wanted a seasonal picture to hang in our living room.  Those of you in the "know" might recognize this tree..

If you dont know, here is a link to Alli's Tree.  Katie, THANK YOU!!!  I already know what I want for my summer picture, if you are up for another custom paint job!

But, the greatest gift of all was from Matt and Stacy.....a CAN of crab legs, just the meat – already peeled – with a pan of melted garlic butter....nothing better.

There were a few days of laying low and then we were itching to get out and get moving. The weather up here had been really nice and there were days and days without rain so we just had to take advantage and get outside. Bruce and Sue live right by Tomie State Park so and Shane had gone running every day, even in the rain. 

After Christmas I started to run with him. Neither of us are serious runners, but it was a great way to get outside, get moving and enjoy the beauty of the pacific northwest. This park takes about 3 minutes to get to. It is like running through a magical wonderland, so beautiful.  

There are also some great bike trails around here. Shane and I took advantage of the Chehalis Western Bike Trail and took a ride by ourselves. When it is 38 degrees out and you are going 14 mph hour, you get REALLY cold!! Not Chico cold.. NORTHWEST COLD!!!


 There is another bike trail that runs from Yelm to Tenino where we took the girls to ride. Jill did great on her new bike, 5 miles all together, without too much complaining.

It was about 37 degrees, so the girls were bundled up, but you know how that goes. Somebody has hands that get hot so the gloves come off, then the hands get freezing but once those hands get cold, there is NO WAY to warm them back up....someday these girls will learn to just leave the layers on                                                      when it is nearly freezing outside.

There was a skate park right near the Yelm bike trail and the girls were SO bummed that we forgot their scooters, but they still went over to play and Shane and I watched from the warmth of the car. It was about 34 degrees out, but the girls didnt care and we had a GREAT view of Mt. Rainier so we stayed until they got hungry, which is usually the only way we can wrangle them in.

Another day, all us girls went to see FROZEN.  It was Alli and Jill's first EVER movie in a theater.  What a sweet, sweet movie to see. The story of true sister love!  It was so fun!  Walking out of the theater Jill says, "I wanna see that again, RIGHT NOW!!!"  

Next, we headed to Olympic National Park and Shane had PROMISED the girls we would stop at a skate park in Shelton, WITH the scooters. I dont know who had more fun, the girls or Shane!

They were all over the place, being pretty brave on their scooters and sliding down the steepest parts on their butts. Luckily, we had them put on their snow gear so the were sliding FAST! We kept giving them 5 minute warnings to go, but they were having so much fun we kept extending the time.

Once again, the only way we got them to leave was the promise of lunch when we got to our hike. The pictures cannot even show the beauty of this area. Words cannot describe the beauty of this area. Here are the pictures:

Our last hurrah, was a jaunt up to Mount Rainier National Park.

We for sure could have picked a better day, but it was the only day that was going to work so we went. It POURED on us.  Snow would have been so nice, but instead it was so warm that we just got drenched.

It didnt stop us from building a snowman and Shane always has to dig his snow cave.....The Adragnas toughed it out with us for about 30 minutes and we lasted a little over an hour, then we high tailed it out of there FROZEN to the BONE!!!

This picture doesn't look like it, but when asked if they had fun, it was a loud, resounding YES YES YES!!!!  Alli just said, "I had lots of fun, I just cant feel my fingers!"

We were spoiled for dinner that night with clams, oysters and shrimp. Nothing could have been better after a day spent in the rain and snow. Thanks Bruce and Sue, for EVERYTHING!!!  We had such a great time!! 

Today, Stacy and I FINALLY go to go out on our DATE!!! It is always WONDERFUL to get to spend time with you my sweet, sweet sissy-in-love.  I love you and already miss you, Stacy. 

 We are heading out tomorrow for 2 nights in Bend and then home sweet home. It has been a great vacation and I am so grateful to have had such a wonderful time with family.   Thank you for making us feel at home and joining us for our crazy outings.  We had a great Christmas and are excited for a WONDERFUL 2014!!