Taking a break from working on RIGBY we decided to go on a weekend camping/hiking trip with the boys and we had an absolutely splendid time.
It started with a very quiet (and damp) campsite at Iron Creek Campground just about 10 miles south of Randle, WA along the Cispis River. The forecast called for 40% chance of rain Friday and 50% Saturday, but we pressed on anyway.
Saturday morning we awoke to sunlight filtering through the trees to our campsite picnic table. We made a hearty breakfast of bacon, eggs and oatmeal, packed up our lunches and drove to the Norway Pass trail head to begin the hike up to Mount Margaret. It was about 11:00 when we started the hike after applying loads of sunblock. Apparently the sun never got the memo about the forecast. The hike was long and gorgeous and the boys were enjoying it every bit as much as we were. It was difficult to keep up with them and if they wouldn’t have stopped to wait for us they would have left us behind entirely.
At about 3:00, after 5-1/2 miles and 2,300 feet of elevation gain,we made it to the top where we could see Spirit Lake and Mount Saint Helens (behind us in the photo above), and Mount Rainier and Mount Adams.
On the way back down, clouds began filling in the valleys and soon we were hiking in fog. Then we could hear thunder and finally (FINALLY!) at about 6:00 we made it back to DITTO. 11.23 miles and about 32,000 steps. And many sore muscles that until then I didn’t know existed.
And then the rain came. We cooked dinner on the cookstove under DITTO’s rear door and then sat in DITTO to eat. We fogged up the windows for a couple hours talking about our day before finally creaking our way off to bed. And during the night it rained even harder but we woke up to somewhat clear skies again and a big campfire with eggs, bacon and oatmeal before breaking camp and leaving.
Oh such a good time!