Though backpacking is a recreational activity, it does
involve a lot of work and preparation to do it well. We’ve been doing this
almost every year for the last decade or so which makes it easier, but there are
things that add a twist to the preparations. One is that the girls grow each
year and we need to modify their gear accordingly. The other thing that has
complicated the process from one year to the next has been tracking down our stuff.
Given that we have a rental car each year that often doesn’t have sufficient
space for all our backpacks and so forth, other members of my family have
generously offered to help haul things. That can mean our stuff can end up in
multiple locations. When we would prepare for the backpack trip, we would often
not know what we had and what we didn’t. Now, with this storage in New Meadows,
we hopefully have resolved this issue.
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| okay, so it's not the most interesting photo, but it's satisfying |
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Deep Lake
This was our third trip to this particular lake. For a while
I was trying to choose a different lake each year. It can make it complicated
when you don’t know how difficult the access road is, what the potential campsites
might be like, how busy it might be, etc. Given our competing priorities this
year, we opted on the path of least resistance and go to a known destination.
I prepared the packs the day before so that we could get an
early start. The easy access road makes it a no-brainer for a rental car. I
look forward to the day when I will have a vehicle of my own in this part of
the world but it doesn’t make sense at this point. For now, we make do with a
modest rental vehicle.
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ready to go
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The trail is a relatively steep mile or so up to a ridge offering
some nice views as you climb. As the trail crests, it levels out the blue of
the lake eventually begins to appear through the trees. Because the girls know
the trail well by now, they were off like jack rabbits, even with their heavier
packs this year.
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no brainer
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Though we always open the invitation for other members of
the family to join us, it’s often not realistic. It’s fun either way but this year
it would be just the four of us.
While there are similarities from one year to the next,
there are differences. Frequently there are forest fires in the region and that
was the case this year. The amount of smoke in the air fluctuated throughout
the two days but it never cleared completely.
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the campsite
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The weather is another variable. Last year we had a storm
that came upon us the morning we were breaking camp. It ended up being less of
a storm than we feared but you just never know. Moreover, you don’t have cell
reception in order to get up-to-date weather information (as was the case back
in the old days). On this trip, we ended up having quite a bit of rain, including
heavy rain the first night. Thankfully, we had just bought a large trap and the
prior evening, anticipating possible rain during the night, made it into a
canopy using about a hundred miles of bungy cords and straps. Ended up working
like a charm.
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colder than it looks
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Over the course of the two days, we spent our time relaxing,
reading, swimming in the lake, etc. No matter what, camping involves hours of
various projects (collecting wood, cooking, filtering water, etc.). It’s the
sort of thing that I enjoy. I probably spent more time on that sort of thing
than I do relaxing. It’s how I’m wired.
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the campfire - no screens
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Deep Lake in the evening sun
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The smoke obscured the normally stunning night sky. We did
have a nearly full moon, which was wonderful, but a crystal-clear sky with
bright stars all the way to the horizon is something that most people rarely,
if ever, see.
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the buck stops here
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Overall, it was a fantastic couple of days. I would be happy
to stay much longer, but we had things to do. The morning we broke camp, two
deer appeared through the trees. It seemed to be a couple stepping out for a
Thursday morning breakfast by the lake. Deer are commonplace in some places but
seeing them in the wild like this is special. We stopped and watched them
probably longer than we should have since we needed to meet family at our
storage in New Meadows at noon. Eventually we were packed up, said our
farewells to our beloved lake, and began making our way down the mountain. Hard
to say if we will return next year or try someplace new. We have a year to sort
that out.
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| success! |
* * *
Community Garden
My brother volunteers at a community garden. These exist in
various forms across the US and in other countries, though I’ve never had any
experience with one. When he pitched the idea for us to come and volunteer for
a morning, I honestly wasn’t sure how helpful we would be. I’m very familiar
with farming and gardening, I haven’t really had a garden as an adult given
that I have mostly lived in apartments. We had briefly had a garden in
Bujumbura but it didn’t do well. Everything seemed to be eaten by bugs.
This would be a new experience for the girls. It’s one of
those blind spots that we need to rectify. They’ve had a rich childhood in many
ways, but working the land hasn’t been a part of it. We frequently discuss
getting a place that has a yard but that would inevitably take us farther from their
school. The horrendous Nairobi traffic has kept us where we are, at least for
now.
It was a beautiful summer morning and we all jumped right in
and started helping pick and wash vegetables. The objective is to have enough
to display on picnic tables for people to buy. It provides the community with inexpensive
and healthy food. Proceeds go to maintaining the garden, equipment, etc.
In the end, the girls had a fantastic time. They’ve already
been talking about volunteering next year.
Other Activities
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hanging out at Payette Lake with the cousins
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a dip in the hot springs
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