Stick vs. hat

And so it begins

I've missed backpacking, alot. Our last trip was nearly 11 months ago. I was 7 1/2 months pregnant and we hiked to Excelsior Ridge. That night I realized the Thermarest just wasn't cutting it anymore. It was kind of sad and kind of exciting as it led to this weekend. Our first backpacking trip with Abel!

Abel's first backpacking trip was up the Baker River. What a perfect little hike through old growth cedar. He was enthralled from the the start. Maybe it was the sheer density of the forest or the looming boulders covered in moss. Or the massive cedars or the Baker River running so fast and cold. Or the talk of bears (we saw alot of scat). Whatever it was I'm convinced the kid wants us to load up our packs again and get out there!

Among the many surprises of the weekend the biggest one was the ease of it all. Abel was pretty darn happy, our packs were pretty light and we were in the woods. It was great.

Other fabulous aspects of the trip: the view of Jagged Ridge, steak on a stick for dinner, watching Abel chew on sticks washed clean by Sulphide Creek, eggs and cresent rolls (cooked on a stick over the fire) for breakfast, Abel's eyes when he looked out of the tent in the morning (we're still here!), Jello cheese cake to celebrate Ian's birthday, walking in the woods again, beautiful wildflowers, almost ripe huckleberries, so much bear scat! I could go on but the essence of it all is that I am so happy to wander in the woods again. And, I am so excited to wander in the woods with Abel, sharing wild places and my love of them with him.

My new disciplines

Forever a student, gardening and raising Baby Rae are the newest disciplines I've under taken. Thankfully both are quite forgiving.

Each new discipline has a journal dedicated to it. Abel's is fully of pictures and documents the marvel of his growth and his adorableness. The garden's is full of lists (to-do, recommendations for next year, ideas for next year, planting dates, harvest dates, local resources). Hopefully both will be interesting to look back on in twenty years, in Abel's case to laugh at his chubby checks and recall the stories and in the garden's to see all that I've (hopefully) learned and how changes in technology and climate impact the foods we grow.

On that note, picture updates of both Abel and the garden.