Weekends in the summer fill up very quickly for us and we have to make a conscious effort to schedule our camping trips in advance so that we actually make it out. Last year we failed to do so and as a result we camped as a family twice -- the first time during Labor Day Weekend.
My husband's favorite way to camp is backpacking because you get away from the road and traffic noise, and the other people in the campground. We have a favorite lake in the Uintas to take kids to called Hayden Lake, it is only a mile in. This time we decided to be more ambitious and we picked a hike that is two-miles in (so four round trip). The lake is Kamas Lake and we have camped there before (way back in 2009). We didn't know how the girls would do with hiking the two-miles and carrying their own stuff. They were little champions! Especially considering the fact that we were being eaten alive by mosquitoes for most of the hike until I demanded that we stop and put bug spray on.
The plan for dinner was catching fish in the lake and adding it to our instant rice mix. For some reason Rice-a-Roni actually tastes good while you are backpacking, after a long trek up the mountain.
Unfortunately the fishing was not great, despite immense efforts in trying.
Fish or no fish we still had a great time. The girls made themselves a little play house while we set up the tent.
My little yogi doing tree pose, making herself one with the forest.
While my husband took care of dinner (I love camping, he is a great camping cook and pampers us with hot chocolate, etc.) the girls and I found a little area of large flat rocks that reminded them of a horse and castle so we sat and played for thirty minutes.
They especially loved their horse rock. At one point they decided to play Knight and Princess. Then they danced.
It was very windy all night long but the girls slept alright for the most part. The next day we hiked down, it took awhile because our three year-old was tired but she still hiked the whole way. Then for fun and so that we saw fish of any kind, we stopped at the Kamas Fish Hatchery for a tour.
I'm so proud of my girls for how well they did on this trip!
