everything

Spring Break 2010.






Arroyo Seco to Indians Road. 4 person overnight.


Again.



Turning my favorite corner.





J gets comfortable riding offroad downhills...







J rode his pink bike (12") the whole way. It's about 3.5 miles from the parking lot to the campsite.



This is D, after having his knife carrying privileges revoked for the duration. You can't see his narrow eyed defiance. You can see his empty belt sheath and his 4" bladed camp knife on the rock in the background. He ran down the trail brandishing it and making swooshy battle noises.

No running with knives.




Same site as the ill-fated "greatest camping trip ever".




Right next to the river.










The kids helped unload after some prompting.



Stuffing beers in the boy's coat pockets for the short walk down to the river...





to "hide" them in the cooler.




D giving it 4 thumbs up. It was a little cold for immersion, but nice nonetheless.





After some messing in the creek, it was time to ride down to the bridge and check out the trail on the other side.









We hiked a ways up and conscientiously shot slingshots loaded with local ammo at imperturbable natural targets.


Apparently, that trail goes out to Marble Peak, but more interestingly there is an offshoot that goes up the backside of Tassajara Hot Springs...bummer that it is wilderness area.




Back to camp.



I loaded pretty lightly this go round. Ok, aside from the folding chairs, but c'mon. No spatula, stove or 9,000lb cast iron griddle. We cooked on the coals. Slept under the stars.







I made blueberry pancakes in a frying pan on the coals in the morning. Even remembered the syrup.



We carefully aimed BB guns at precisely placed non-corrosive cylindrical receptacles for some time.

There was no plan.



Then we rode back down to the bridge for some goofing off.


Next time, when the water is lower and slower, it will be rope swing installment. There's our plan.


That water is so cold right now that after getting my whole self in I didn't even try to trick the kids into getting all in. You know that's cold. There was snow on the higher peaks when we arrived.




We had a boat making competition...


That's my entry in the foreground on the left; it is magnificent. I tied it together with saplings. N is holding the piece of driftwood that is the children's entry. They took lots of time to streamline their design. They even went so far as to remove the leaves from the hole they'd augured in; mainly because they wouldn't stay put, but also for reduced drag.

J handled the launch for me.


Both boats went right up the eddy and lodged in some bushes stream side. N and J fetched them with some effort, and we re-launched from the confluence...


You can't see it, but my vessel clearly won.






Pack it in, pack it out:

Mid-hill pause to drink the beer that had burst in the seat bag containing it and and the camera...

Look at me go!



That guy.








Topping out back on the road...









I love this picture, because D has learned well to stop in the shade. This road taught him, not me. It is merciless.



Looking down the gorge.




Climbing out.


That's a great trip. 3.5 miles is nothing, but it feels very remote once you turn that corner. We'll keep refining this one.