Bass Lake & Yosemite

What a wonderfully amazing trip! Ryan & Diana are two of my favorite campers in the world! From bear sightings to hikes to gorgeous views, this trip had it all. Not even Labor Day weekend crowds could dampen the mood on this trip! Awesome Awesome Awesome =)

Camping Rocks! (and sticks, and dirt, and rain)

I've said it before, I'll say it again - Camping makes me happy. Just being out in the fresh air, where you can see stars and experience weather is enough for me. This weekend we had some rain.. you never think about rain until you don't have the expected shelter, then it becomes a big deal. Lucky for us it mostly rained while we were sleeping (or in my case lying awake reveling in the pitter patter sound against the tent.) I'm glad everyone was such a good sport! Honestly I could have done without the cell phones and sports updates, but I can't really ask that of MY friends, so I rolled with it. I was just happy that everyone tried it out. Thanks kids, can't wait for the next one =)

I LOVE BACKPACKING. period.

I need to do this more often. There is absolutely nothing that compares to being 7 miles (on foot) away from anything resembling reality. The serene quiet of the forest puts a simple, happy feeling in my heart and clears my mind. There are more stars than you can imagine when you get away from distracting city lights. Animals playing become the most fascinating thing, you forget all about television and movies and technology. The rushing water of a simple stream is enchanting, and a necessity if you want to survive out there. Mac and Cheese is a meal fit for a king after a long day of hiking with a 40 lb pack on your shoulders. The pitter patter of rainfall on your tent is soothing, like a lullaby in the dark of night. Imagination takes over and Rock throwing for accuracy eats up your time. Mt. San Gorgonio called my name and I responded. Angel was a trooper, joining me for 3 days and 2 nights in the wilderness :). I know a lot of people who couldn't hack it out there, and I'm glad he was up to the challenge!

White Water Rafting - Upper Kern

Memorial Day Weekend 2009 - absolutely fantastic!!!!!!!!!
We camped out with Mountain & River Adventures along the upper section of the Kern River in Sequoia National Park. SUCH a beautiful area and the greatest adventure trip I've had in a while :). What made it even better was that I got to do it with my 3 best girls in the world. We learned a lot this weekend, about ourselves, teamwork, dedication and hard work. There were a few scary moments, but we pulled through like champs and ultimately had a blast.

Mtn River has the most awesome guides/cooks/hosts we could ever ask for. Emily, Sanders and Jim navigated those waters beautifully and gave us a great time and even better memories. What was really cool though, was to be able to come back to camp after a hard day of paddling to have your tents set up and waiting, take a hot shower, and settle in for beer and appetizers with the rest of the group - all of this provided by our guides! They cooked amazing meals that we could not have possibly done ourselves and even played a few rounds of beer pong with our rowdy crowd. 10,000 thumbs up to the whole crew!!