Backpacking: One Strong Family Glue

The weekend following Eli's birthday, we carved out time to go backpacking in the Uintas. Just in the nick of time, too! If I'm remembering correctly, the following weekend there was snow.  Even though you bring much less when you backpack, getting ready to go is still a daunting task.

Our destination was Ruth Lake, having enjoyed it tremendously last year.  These next three photos are taken in direct succession from our photo roll.  Ready to go (although Annika seems a bit uncooperative).


She's off.

And, she's down.

Fortunately the rest of the hike in went more smoothly.  Brooklyn happily shouldered as much weight on her pack as I did.

Talia enjoyed her new pack as well.

Eli occasionally forgets what a great hiker he is, but he is amazing once he sets his mind to it.

Jason's pack was still heaviest, although I think he enjoyed toting a small backpacking tent instead of the giant Tent-Mahal.

We made it!  But Annie has a secret.

She has to got potty.  It took a while, but successfully hit the mark and buried her treasure.


The daylight lasted just long enough for us to set up our tents and cook dinner.

Rise and shine, sleepy head.

The mountain air definitely gets chilly, so we were grateful for a fire to warm up.

Collecting firewood.

Instant oatmeal never tasted better.

Talia's hammock is the best gift I've ever given.

After a lazy morning, we decided to get dressed and go for a hike.  We navigated our way to the Lofty Lake Loop, a trail I would love to come back and explore more.  Here's Annika overlooking Picturesque lake (I think.)

Can I just say, I LOVE this teenager.  Forget about moody or sullen, Brooklyn is delightful.

Jason's expression is one of pure bliss.

Not that the hike was easy.  Annika likes to climb on rocks, but this is an entirely different story.

Lunching at Lofty lake.

Meandering our way home.

There are so many lakes that it's difficult to keep track of which is which.  I think this little one is called Liberty Lake.  I love the contrast of Annika in a swimsuit and Talia in a winter cap.

Hayden Lake--a sure sign that we are nearly "home."  Note the intense trail of smoke behind.  We were waffling about whether or not to stay a second night, but when we saw the smoke we decided that the fire was too close by to rest easily.


Talia cooks dinner while we pack up.

Ready for the journey out.

Our goal was to make it back before the sun disappeared from the mountain.


By the time we got back to the minivan, everyone (and everything) was pretty wasted--including Talia's pants.

As we drove home through a beautiful sunset, I reflected on how rich these family backpacking memories are.  At one point in the trip, I took a selfie because I wanted to know how I look when bubbling over with joy.  (The answer was overexposed.)  Lately I've had panicky moments thinking about how little time some of our children have left at home.  My prayer is that experiences like these will cement our family together for decades to come.