Red Fish Lake, One Last Time

While visiting Red Fish Lake on Saturday morning Jay was getting ansy.  He decided he wanted to take us to the trail head for Hell Roaring Lake.  It would of been fun to hike the mile up to the lake but with little ones we would not of made it. 

The road to the trail head was quiet an adventure itself (I was scared to death half the time on the route).  The route was all off road and very very bumpy.  After we took a very big hill (later I would say it was nothing) we decided to stop.  Bonnie was totally freaking out about the whole adventure.  She was not enjoying the ride and letting all of us know her opinion about off roading.

Chas was sitting on a rock and laughing hard as Bonnie was running through the forest.  Bonnie refused to sit still so I could get a picture of her.

So after they ran around a bit we got back in the pickup and headed farther down the trail/road.  While we had been playing a Jeep passed us, so we figured when we got to the trail head we'd run into them again. 

Once we were on our way again we had to drive very carefully because logs were sticking out in the trail.  During the ride I commented to Jay it seemed like the forest service had made little effort to move these logs as if daring us to go further.  We both laughed and figured yep that was what they were up too.

This is just a random photo of us on the road.  I was trying to capture the Sawtooth Mountains because they are just beautiful but in the end I captured the road!

We got to one part of the road and had not only caught up to the Jeep we saw pass us but another Jeep.  We thought maybe they were traveling together and stopping every once in a while to talk.  Then we had to drive under the branch they had to drive under.

When we headed back down the road I took a picture of us working our way under the branch.

Once we got to the trail head we noticed the first Jeep had two college boys in it.  We were talking to them and they said they sawed five logs and moved them out of the way.  Then on the last tree we drove under they said they just sawed off the branches sticking down.  So it turned out it wasn't the forest service barely moving the logs out of the way but the boys were getting the trees out of the way so they could hike into the mountains.  We played around a bit once we made it to the trail head.  The creek was really big this time of year and it was just beautiful up where we were.

Chas made sure, once were at the trail head, that all rocks available were being thrown into the water.

Charlotte and myself on by the creek.

You may wonder how we got Bonnie to stop freaking out. 

Basically with technology she's not a 14 year old at 4.  She listened to the ipod most of the way there, they entire way home, and then for most of the rest of the weekend.

Red Fish Lake Night 1

The first night staying up at Red Fish Lake found us in this fun Lake Cabin instead of the big roomy one we usually have.  We were moving into the roomier cabin the next day.  When we pulled up Jay and I were totally excited because last year we had walked by this cabin a million times and talked about how fun it would be to stay in that cabin.  This cabin was close to the lake and had tall windows on one side of the house so when you looked out from the main floor or the loft you could see the lake.  It was a beautiful view.  At that point we were wishing we didn't have to move the following day.

Charlotte was very happy with the cabin too.  She was just excited to get out of the truck.

That night we put Charlotte to bed with ease, babies can be so easy sometimes.  Then when we put Chas to bed he was screaming up a storm, he didn't like going to bed in a strange place and all alone.  Bonnie was sleeping in a different room so we didn't worry about her.  Chas' cries woke up Charlotte and they were screaming together.  Meanwhile Jay and I tried to enjoy a movie on the laptop in the front room.  As we were sitting on the couch when we heard squeaking noises.  I looked at the chimney and we both figured bats lived in the chimney.  No biggie right.

Finally we gave up and went into the bedroom to watch our movie so Chas would finally go to sleep.  As we were laying there watching a movie I noticed something flying around the ceiling.  At first I thought it might be a bug by the night light and looked over at the night light.  Nothing, absolutely no bugs flying around the night light.  I kind of jumped a little at that point.

Jay looked at me and asked me what was wrong.  I told him something was flying around the ceiling.  He looked up and confirmed my suspicion.  We had a bat in our room!

I jumped out of bed kind of freaking out and not sure what to do.  The bat swooped down at me and I let out a little scream, the kids were finally asleep and I didn't want to wake them up.  I ran to the door and opened the door, the bat did not follow.  Jay suggested I run downstairs and turn on the lights down there.  I did that and the bat followed, the bat flew down to the front room and I screamed while hurtling up the stair back to my room.  I know, total baby.

At this point April came out of her room to see what was going on.  We showed her the bat flying around.  Bonnie got a little scared so her and I went back into her room and hung out while Jay and April tried to get the bat outside.  While sitting with Bonnie and trying to make her laugh I heard shuffling, shoes being flung, and general chaos in the outer loft and front room area.  The bat wasn't leaving, so finally we all gave up and shut our doors and went to bed.  We made sure the put clothes across the crack on the bottom of our floor so the bat couldn't sneak back in.

The next morning we were all getting ready, we had one bathroom so it took a while.  I showered and then Jay showered.  As he was brushing his teeth he saw movement out of the corner of his eyes.  He looked over at the wall and saw a wing open up and a little head pop out to look at him.  Being more calm in nature then I, he finished brushing teeth slowing with no sudden movements and came out to tell us all that the bat had moved to the bathroom.

If you look at the second dark line (middle of the picture) you'll notice something a little darker closer to the other wall.  That was our bat.

April came to the rescue us and use of the bathroom, seeing as how I declared I wouldn't go in there again.  She got the bat to fly out the window.  Lets just say Jay and I were very happy to move to the newer bat-less cabin the next day.

Redfish Lake Part 1

Last weekend was my Hubby's family reunion.  This is such a fun reunion because we head up to Red Fish Lake Lodge and rent a cabin.  Then we have the lake to play on all weekend, a beautiful view of the Sawtooth Mountains, 60 degree weather all weekend, food, and family.  Can't imagine a better weekend!

This year since I was not 38 weeks pregnant I did a little research before we left to see what kind of fun activities there were to be had.  Idaho is full of ghost towns and we were lucky enough to find two along with The Yankee Fork Gold Dredge.

We first drove through Bonanza, an old abandoned ghost town.  All we could do was drive through because it's on private property and the houses were falling down.  Three little kids would not do so well in that environment.

Then we headed to the Dredge.  This was a really magnificent sight.  Here are Bonnie & Chas standing outside the dredge.

We got to take a tour through the old dredge and it was really amazing.

Behind Chas in this photo are the iron buckets that would pick up the sediment.  They were huge!  As was the dredge itself.

This is the third set of scary stairs we had to walk up to get to the top of the dredge.  Once up there it was a slow walk down as we were told all about the dredge and how it worked.

Working the levers.

The engine Room.

Once were finished at the dredge we headed over to Custer.  That was a fun little ghost town owned by the Forest Service so it was nicely maintained and had a few volunteers that could tell us a little about the area.

This is where Charlotte was during most of the walk through Custer.  Custer
was a blast.  The kids could run around into all the buildings and check things out.  Then in the school house they could sit in school desks and write on chalk boards.  I'd say the highlight was then getting to ring the school bell.  They thought that was the best.  Then we all headed home because we were pretty tired from running around a ghost town all afternoon.

Wordless Wednesday

Camping

This past weekend the family headed up to McCall, ID and did some cold night camping.  Even with the rain on Friday night we had a really great time.  We camped right by a big rock and by the time we left Bonnie had mastered climbing and sliding down the big rock.

Friday night it stopped raining enough for us to roast marshmallows.  Jay got the fire going and we started roasting.  Chas say me squat down to roast my mallows and he proceeded to do the same.  He was so cute and serious about the whole roasting process.

The kids had a great time climbing this rock.  If you have kids I suggest camping by big rocks, they love them.

Bonnie decided to scar me when she jumped up from behind the rock.  It was a fun weekend.