Backpacking Again

It's been years - years - since we've done it, but this weekend we finally went backpacking again! It was just a short hike up American Fork Canyon near Silver Lake to the aptly named "Secret Place" that the Knappenbergers introduced us to so long ago. For a real blast from the past, you can read about our last trip up there 4 years ago - click here for the vintage Morningstar newsletter.

Anyway, we had a truly spectacular short backpacking weekend. It's amazing how a few miles of hiking, some Jello cooled in a stream overnight, astronaut ice cream, and enjoying God's incredible creation can really put life, the universe, and everything in perspective. We figured that backpacking is only going to get more... interesting (read: harder) once sestra is with us, so we'd better get back into the swing of it!

Mommy and Daddy sherpaed (is that a verb? It is now) the tents, sleeping pads, and bags up, while the boys certainly carried their own by packing up their sleeping bags and clothing. Nesbitt once again reveled in getting disgustingly filthy and covering herself in burrs and is now lying nigh-comatose on our kitchen floor. This evening Ben told me that there was "something wrong with Nez - every time I touch her she makes weird noises." I did the obvious thing and advised our child to stop touching the dog who had more exercise this weekend than in the past several months combined.

A good time was had by all - here are a couple of choice shots from the weekend:

Mommy and Daddy toast our dossier's arrival at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) in Kazakhstan

Ben discovers that he really likes freeze dried chicken and noodles

Sam masters the art of water purification

Sam's "triumphant" pose as we finished this morning's hike. He was sure a super backpacker!

Oh, and don't worry, we did save enough energy to stop at the Purple Turtle on the way down the canyon for milkshakes and fries. One does need to replenish one's fat stores after a few hours of exercise!