Camping Trip #1

     Summer is Here!  As fast as it's flying by already, we have tried to make the most of it by doing some much needed traveling.  Sometimes you just need to get away to recharge the batteries until the next trip.  We bought a bigger, easy set-up tent, 2 queen air mattresses, 2 more sleeping bags for the girls and we are set.

     The first trip was the end of June before my birthday.  We drove up to the Big Horn Mountains east of Powell and attempted the drive up to Paint Rock Lake.  We had a later start since Jason worked till 2.

 

      This drive was at the suggestion of a friend, who said it wasn't a bad drive up there and it was a nice place.  We don't know the Big Horns all that well, so we went with the idea.  After the first half of the drive, maybe 10 miles of some really rough road, we met up with the very remote intersection that led to Paint Rock Lake, another 15 miles!  We decided to try the reservoir which was closer, well that too was a rough road that we didn't see the end of.  We didn't have a good feeling a chose to turn around.  We had told people where we were going to go in case we needed help.  Instead of driving another 15 miles into unknown territory and it was already 6:30pm, we decided to head back down the mountain and camp at one of the camp grounds.  (Maybe another time Jon Henson)  It was during the week, so thankfully, there were not a lot of people and we had a pretty secluded camp site right by the river.

Cow Moose and calf at the far end of the campground

 When we came into the campground and looking for a camp site, we drove up on this cow moose and calf just outside the perimeter of the campground.  Later on that night, thanks to the alertness of Tucker, this same cow and calf walked between our site and the next down to the river.  Katelyn was a little scared but we prayed for safety and Daddy was outside watching just to be sure, and everything was alright.

Bacon sizzling over an open fire by the river

 The rush of the river was a constant noise to get used to, but at the same time relaxing.  There was a path down to a small shallow bank that we could take the girls down to throw rocks, but it was far enough away that they wouldn't fall into the river if they walked to the edge.  They were watched like a hawk and learned very quickly where their boundaries were.

After a very chilly night of sleep, a hot breakfast of scrambled eggs, bacon and biscuits was on the menu.  It warmed up quite a bit during the day, but the nights were really chilly, thankfully we all had a partner to sleep with to keep warm. :)
 
 With being right on the river, fishing was on the agenda of activities for Katelyn and Daddy.

     She had so much fun reeling in the fish.  They were all just babies, but she caught at least a dozen in two days.  We didn't keep any since they were so small, but a hook was put in her and all she wanted to do was go fishing.  

     When it got a little hotter in the day, the girls wanted to cool off.  When you dropped off the bank, there was a pile of rocks in wire, to probably help with erosion protection, and then the shallow spot.  It wasn't very big, but big enough for two pairs of feet.

 

Warming up her legs and feet.  The water was really cold

 Megan is a little bit braver than Katelyn, maybe she hasn't developed her fears of things yet or maybe she is just more trusting.  At any rate, we got Megan to hold a worm from out bait container.  Katelyn wouldn't have any part of that until she saw Megan playing with one.

Daddy told Megan to give the worm a kiss, so she did.  This is what happens when Mommy goes to the bathroom 

 

Not wanting to give the worm a kiss, she opted for a "hug"

Trying to race worms, another Daddy idea

I left to go to the "outhouse" and come back to Megan running to meet me, swinging a worm in her hand like a you would swing a string, with a great big smile on her face.  Some of those worms got pretty stretched out with all the play they had.  When she would hold it and it would get stiff and move, she would want to drop it right away.  So long as it was limp, she was fine.

The next day, we packed up and drove on down the road to Shell Falls.  A tourist spot with a short walking path to view different waterfalls.  A very nice gentleman from Nebraska, asked if he could take our picture with my camera for us.  He did a pretty good job.

Just looking in a tube, not really seeing through it, but doing like big sis.

     It was a great trip.  Fish were caught, marshmallows were roasted and memories were made and caught "on film".  Home for the weekend and then pack up for trip #2.