Ensign Ranch Cook-Eat-Play Triathalon, April 13-14, 2018

Our Cook/Eat/Play Triathalon to practice new and different cooking techniques was a smashing success. No school on Friday meant an early start, so Lunch #1 was grilled cheese sandwiches with hot dogs. Dinner was chicken, baked potatoes, personal peach cobblers (hat tip to Allen Telford), biscuits, brownies, and ice cream. We started our fire using cattails from the local swamp. Breakfast was eggs cooked in ziplock bags in boiling water, with sausage, more biscuits, and hot chocolate. Brunch was another batch of brownies. Lunch #2 was more grilled cheese sandwiches. We never even got to the pie iron fruit pies or the orange peel cupcakes, so we hope to do those on Wednesday. But since we had pie irons and leftover biscuit dough from the peach cobblers, I tried combining the two, and the biscuit was so perfect that we opted for more biscuits for breakfast instead of pancakes. The strawberry freezer jam made them divine. Good Food + Good Friends = Good Times.

 

Mount St. Helens, October 2017

Mount St. Helens Plan A was to hike from Windy Ridge to Loowit Falls on Friday, and hike to Spirit Lake Saturday. Then when the weather forecast said 90% chance of rain Friday but sunny Saturday, we thought we should do the Ape Cave Friday. Then Friday morning the forecast was only 25% chance of rain in the morning, with 45% about noon dropping to 15%, so we thought we'd to back to Plan A (now Plan C). When we got to Windy Ridge it was sunny and beautiful, but there was an ugly blizzard coming at us fast, so we went back to Plan B (now D). The Ape Cave was fun, and we had a great camp site deep in the woods.  Saturday morning we had a bit of automotive difficulties, after letting the guys sleep in, so a leisurely breakfast and long travel time on icy roads ate up much of our hiking time. We did make it to the top of Windy Ridge, and part way down to Spirit Lake. It was another excellent adventure. One of the highlights was the traditional Breaking of the Apple Ceremony being performed by guest apple-breaker and future Scoutmaster Eliot B (see video below). Another highlight was the rescue of two endangered St. Helens Sharks as they were swimming upstream in the snow in the middle of the road. Details to follow soon.

Denny Creek Campout, Hike and Slide, September 2017

Since it was Michael’s farewell campout with us, he got to pick the place.  He wanted to experience the natural water slides at Denny Creek, so Friday we camped at Kachess Lake (Denny Creek campground was full) and hiked up the creek Saturday morning.  It was a perfect day for hiking, and the 60 degree air temp, and significantly lower water temp, worked to keep the riffraff from Seattle from clogging up the water slides.  Indeed, Michael was the only water slider I saw all day.  I brought my water sliding apparel, but with my advanced body weight and the existing water flows, I would have presented a soggy monument to Newton’s First Law of Motion, unable to overcome the forces of gravity and friction.

Frog friend at Kachess Lake

Let the fun begin

Cool guys on cool bridge

Cool guys and cool hollow tree

Looking up

Climbing upstream

Checking our navigational device

Cool guy and cool waterfall

At the top

Later that same day, at Franklin Falls

Mount St. Helens 20 mile hike, August 2017

The Hardy Boys: Secrets of the Exploding Mountain

Up at 5. On the trail at 7:15. Loowit Falls (8 1/2 miles) by 11. Harry's Ridge (+ 7 1/2) by 3. Back to Johnston Ridge Observatory (+ 4) by 5. Burgerville in Centralia by 7. Home by 9:30.
It was a long but glorious day. 20 miles for the Hiking Merit Badge for two guys, a good excuse to get out of chores for the other 4 (one Eagle brother, two dads, and me).
The youngsters did fine. The adults renewed our appreciation for the pharmaceutical industry. (Actually, I feel surprisingly OK. I was worried that I would have to cancel this week, but I have several body parts that don't hurt.)
The morning fog kept us focused on hiking, rather than gawking at the giant crater and taking dozens of pictures like typical Mount St. Helens tourists. When it cleared we had spectacular views of the crater, lava dome, huge elk, Spirit Lake, and Mount Adams.

From the Johnston Ridge Observatory theater, Friday afternoon

From Johnston Ridge Observatory

Getting ready to hike

Starting point (JRO), Loowit Falls, and Harry's Ridge

A closer look

Cool guys

Fork in the trail. We dropped down off the ridge into the valley

The fog lifted to give us a nice view as we hiked down the ridge

What are they pointing at?

That.  There were several more, but they were camera shy.

View from the valley floor

Drinking from the falls (not really)

Loowit Falls coming out of the crater

Lunch with a view

Spirit Lake and Harry's Ridge, our next stop

Spirit Lake and Mount Adams, from Harry's Ridge

St. Helens from Harry's Ridge

The view from Burgerville