So, it's been well over a month since I last wrote to the two of you reading this ;-) Our summer ended with a fabulous camping trip to Klamath Lake, Lava Beds National Monument, and Hyatt Lake in southern Oregon.
I think the Lava Beds was my favorite site of the year. Since we went after Labor Day, the campsites were vacant. But it was still warm enough for us to sleep out under the stars one night. The girls (both 3 1/2 years old) did great spelunking. We hiked into several caves, sometimes 2000-3000 feet in, and officially rated as "difficult". Difficult for tall adults, but a breeze for my kids.
Hyatt Lake was another gem of a campsite. I understand it's a madhouse during the season, but not when we were there. We had the whole southeast corner of the lake to ourselves, complete with bathroom and showers (full-sized showers with two shower heads opposite each other), sandy beach, with a large play structure for the kids. And no one was around.
After that trip, we had one last family camping trip to Sunset Beach, near Coos Bay, OR. That time we stayed in a yurt, and "Masonandjulie" (as the girls call them) joined us. It was nice out there, but I really wish I had brought our canoe.
After all that, it was back to school for me. But, last weekend I was able to sneak out and get in one by-myself-camping trip in, over to eastern Oregon. Smith Rock, and 2 of the 3 John Day Fossil Beds. It was very nice, but cold and windy. Lows were in the low-mid 20's, and in my tent it got to around 35 degrees. I brought along my pillow (one of those memory foam ones), but it turns out the memory foam does not work when frozen; it was hard as a board.
I think the Lava Beds was my favorite site of the year. Since we went after Labor Day, the campsites were vacant. But it was still warm enough for us to sleep out under the stars one night. The girls (both 3 1/2 years old) did great spelunking. We hiked into several caves, sometimes 2000-3000 feet in, and officially rated as "difficult". Difficult for tall adults, but a breeze for my kids.
Hyatt Lake was another gem of a campsite. I understand it's a madhouse during the season, but not when we were there. We had the whole southeast corner of the lake to ourselves, complete with bathroom and showers (full-sized showers with two shower heads opposite each other), sandy beach, with a large play structure for the kids. And no one was around.
After that trip, we had one last family camping trip to Sunset Beach, near Coos Bay, OR. That time we stayed in a yurt, and "Masonandjulie" (as the girls call them) joined us. It was nice out there, but I really wish I had brought our canoe.
After all that, it was back to school for me. But, last weekend I was able to sneak out and get in one by-myself-camping trip in, over to eastern Oregon. Smith Rock, and 2 of the 3 John Day Fossil Beds. It was very nice, but cold and windy. Lows were in the low-mid 20's, and in my tent it got to around 35 degrees. I brought along my pillow (one of those memory foam ones), but it turns out the memory foam does not work when frozen; it was hard as a board.
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