Camping at Lake Canyon
The beauty in these rural mountains is hard to believe. These photos were taken in quiet moments of exploration, including the umpteenth trek to the bathroom haha. Can you spot W in the one below?
We had the best time camping with our friends the Petersons and recharging in the remote mountains of the Manti-La Sal National Forest.
They invited us to join them for Labor Day weekend. Last time we camped with them it was very warm. They have been here many times before, but this was the first time it rained nonstop! I ran around trying to buy warmer clothing for the kids when I realized they had nothing for cold wet days. They were so excited when I came home with “lumberjack shirts!” 😂
We had lots of chances for outdoor playtime, games, delicious camp eats, visits into town for church and the best local diner breakfast, playground breaks, and of course hiking!! L and I found some crayfish on the rocky lake shore.
Finally got F a fishing pole! Jer took the boys fishing at the nearby lake.
Our dog had the time of her life roaming freely, smelling everything, and chasing squirrels to her heart’s desire.
Some Highlights
One of my favorite moments was during a big rainstorm when it was pouring outside. The kids were all bundled up in their sleeping bags, and Jer read to us from the Hobbit. We laughed so much, F was literally rolling around holding his gut!
Leilani and I had so much fun waking up at 5am in our headlamps to trail run for 4 miles before everyone got up. It felt like we were visiting “Brigadoon” with the fog, mud, and the wet rolling hills.
Camping Stove
We got a camping stove that Jer absolutely loves! It’s just like his Dad’s that he grew up with. We made hot cocoa in the morning and evenings, which the kids all looked forward to especially little Tanner.
Jer made Dutch oven potatoes which were difficult to cook when the coals kept getting rained on. At one point he babied the fire by standing over it with an umbrella! He had wanted the experience with a Dutch oven, but at the end of this trip he decided from now on to just precook everything and use his new stove.
We had some amazing food: hot dogs roasted over the fire (perfect for the first night we arrived after dark), mountain man breakfast (sausage, egg, cheese, bacon, potatoes), chili and Dutch oven potatoes with bacon, chorizo in corn tortillas with fresh pinto beans, fajitas with all the toppings, sandwiches on ciabatta, spam and zucchini (a favorite of ours for camping), and a Breakfast at the local diner. We also had lots of treats like s’mores, Oreos, ice cream sorbet in fruit, fresh peaches, and bags of my favorite Sun Chips.
I really appreciated that Nick taught F how to play a simple game with his Pokémon cards so we can play it at home together. I got to test it out with F at camp. Nick also let W use his “mechanical mind” to help him get the trailer packed up / put away when it was time to go home.
The kids all worked together to build shelters where they could relax in their chairs and pretend to serve each other tea, or have wizarding duels. W said one of his favorite activities of the day was playing something called “Port Farmer” with his brother and friends.
Did you know this was the site of a Mammoth discovery that changed everything we know about them? W was disappointed that they had to move the actual remains to a museum to preserve it, but we got to read about unearthing the Mammoth and what they learned.
Jer said I was a trooper and a big help during this camping trip and others. That means a lot to me since I want to be encouraging and supportive when camping is so important to him. I might be getting the hang of it more!
Love, Kat
