I recently took my kids plus my nephew on an overnight camping trip to White River Campground on the the east side of Mt. Rainier. It's a place we love dearly and a short drive to an amazing sunrise view of the mountain. I wanted to do this trip 'car camping, the light way'. Which, in my mind, means no camp box filled with everything I don't usually use but would come in handy if I needed it, no lanterns, no fancy cooked meals, no swimming apparatus, no camp kitchen etc. I told my kids they were responsible to pack what they needed to sleep comfortably, clothes, a backpack with enough water for the next day's hike and that's it, I would take care of the rest. Now we've gone camping so many times and as they have grown older I make them be responsible for more and more of their own needs, so I figured they could handle it.
I shopped for the bare minimum as far as food goes, plus enough snacks/goodies to keep them happy on the trail. (Fed kids are happy kids....usually) Then I set to work with the boys packing our Yakima cargo box with chairs, sleeping bags, a small foldable stove and a few other necessities. We packed our large blue container of water, the food bag and cooler, all of our backpacks, pillows, etc.
Well, it's sounds like it all went quite smoothly doesn't it? What I haven't mentioned yet is while I was busy packing this kid sat playing on the Xbox, this kid fought with that kid, this one whined about not having any clean clothes, this one was nowhere to be found, that one was Snap-chatting with friends....just as one would appear to be ready to go they would disappear and then I'd find out they had no backpack..or shoes..or sleeping bag. So then I'd stop what I was doing and help them only to find two others laughing at funny videos on Youtube, which would be fine if they were already packed and had helped me get ready to leave.
So by now, my head is about to explode and most, but not all, of the kids have an attitude like I'm forcing them to live in a labor camp and like it! Everything in me should be saying, 'Why don't you just change plans and take them to the lake instead, you know there'd be less complaining.' but what everything inside of me is actually saying, and it's true, is, 'I know they'll be happy and grateful once we are there, we just need to get on the road!!!'
When my kids were little and I did EVERYTHING, it was, in a sense, easier. They got to be excited about a grand adventure and I did all the work. Now getting them to carry their own work load is like pulling teeth! The same thoughts that are there nearly every time we do something fun started creeping into my mind, "WHY?!! Why do I even bother?!!" But immediately the answers take their place, 'Because it's good for them, because they need to unplug, because even with all the complaining, they love it.'
So now we supposedly had everything packed. Once we were loaded up I ran back into the house and filled an insulated bottle with Coke Zero and a swig (or two) of Whipped Vodka and stuck that into the cooler. Before I reached the van, I could hear the fighting. "It's MY day in the front!" "I'm NOT sitting back there with YOU!" Trying to keep my cool, I told everyone where they were sitting and didn't allow for negotiations. We drove in silence. I'm sure I said some not so nice things that experts would say will scar my kids for life. But it was silent.
Traffic. Was. Bad.
What should have taken us an hour and a half took us two and a half hours and, of course, by the time we reached the campsite, we were all famished. I told the kids we had to find a campsite and set up camp, then I would get out the food.
The campground wasn't full, but many of the good spots were taken. In a stroke of good luck, however, we found a great site with lots of space and privacy and was close to the bathroom. We set to work setting up the tents. I gave the girls the job of setting out the chairs and start searching for firewood. Both tents went up fast, sleeping space was being claimed and then I saw it...
On a small post that was hidden by our van was a white tag. It was the pay stub that stated the site had already been claimed. I had to break the news to the kids and tell them we needed to move. We feared that at any second a car would pull up with the night's tenants of our stolen campsite. I frantically looked around for nearby sites and much to my relief, the one right next to it was available, and it was also very nice, if not roomier. The girls and I literally picked up the tents fully set up and I hauled ours around the van onto the street and into it's new location. The boys took their larger one through the woods. I was proud of them, they worked together and got it done with minimal grumbling.
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| Come to terms with the tent situation |
So we ate our dinner of burgers, chips and....oh ya, that's it. Burgers and chips, I even forgot the ketsup.
When 'drama' still hadn't come back Hunter, who has always had a knack for talking to the one on the outs, found her and convinced her to join the family. Within five minutes she was eating dinner and smiling. The rest of the evening went relatively well. Three of the four boys forgot sleeping pads, Ben didn't even bring his sleeping bag, so they got to learn the hard way why they need to be responsible for themselves. Luckily they were all in one tent and kept warm by sharing blankets.
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| Happy Camper |
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| Holding pieces of Rainier's history |
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| Sunrise Point vista...Mt. Adams in the background |
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| Oh, if we could all look as good as Rainier first thing in the morning! |
My alarm went off at 4:30 so we could pack up and be up at Sunrise Point by 5:30 to watch the sunrise. I was so warm and comfortable though that I kept pressing snooze. Finally at 5, I started waking everyone up. The boys were up, dressed and packed in no time. Hunter, who would sleep until noon if I let him, said getting up was better than freezing in the tent. The girls took a little longer to get moving, but we were all in the van by 5:20 am with plans to eat where we park while we watched the beautiful sunrise.
We drove the winding road, up, up and up. The view widening and lightening as we rose. The sun was beating us to the mountain, but the scenery was quite the sight to behold. On our way up we saw a herd of at least 10-15 elk grazing in a lush meadow. We arrived at Sunrise Point as the Mountain blushed rose from the rising sun. I parked and we got out to take in our surroundings. There was a chill in the air but it was bearable.
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| Hot chocolate is a great way to start the day! |
As we enjoyed the sunrise, I made hot chocolate for the kids and coffee for myself by heating up water in my MiniMo Jetboil. After eating Pop tarts, the kids were ready to go! There were a few people at the parking lot taking pictures, but nobody was hiking except for us.
The trail started off heading downhill into the shade of the trees. It was a steady downhill and I kept thinking, "This is nice, but this will also be the end of our hike...a steady climb." Cecelia had a million things to say and, lost in conversation, she took a misstep and had a major belly flop on a downhill trail. This was early on in the hike and set the mood for the next couple of miles. Teary and sore from her fall, she fell silent for awhile. The four boys hurried ahead and Izzy journeyed back and forth between them and Cecelia and I. The wildflowers were a sight to behold. When your teenage son stops to stoop down and photograph a wildflower you know you made the right choice to bring them along no matter the struggle.
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| Looking down on the first of many lakes. |
The mosquitos were a nuisance and they were very attracted to poor Cece for whatever reason, but because they liked her so much they pretty much left me alone. I felt bad for her though, she was constantly swatting at the suckers and at one point they had her in quite a tizzy.
I don't know what it was about this trail, or maybe it was the hot cocoa, but almost every kid had stomach issues and needed to stop to poop along the way! I gave them a minimal amount of mountain money (T.P.) and told them to make sure to dig their hole before going. Cece was the only one that needed assistance and she had to go at least three times! So it was a slow go, but once that was over we were able to enjoy the trail and all it had to offer. This trail passed by at least five lakes before our final destination came into view, Upper Palisade Lake. We had been here before in early September but the lake was so much smaller then that we were able to walk right to the boulders on the far side. This time we had to find/make a trail through the woods until we came to the enormous boulder field. This was where we planned on having lunch and exploring for a bit. Many years ago there was a major rock fall and now rocks the size of small homes provided cave-like exploration, fantastic boulder hopping opportunities and dream homes to many marmots.
Right off the bat, the boys found the largest rocks and challenged themselves to jump from one to another. I let them be boys and do their thing in spite of my motherly instinct that made me want to warn them of all the dangers involved in what they were doing. I enjoyed nature in the same way with my friends when I was their age, although usually without my mother there to tell me to be careful...and I survived. They played for a good hour before they even thought about food. Meanwhile, the girls and I explored the cave-like areas and climbed high to get even better views of the emerald green lake. From where we climbed we could see the mountains stretch before us forever and the lake sparkle in the morning sun, the boys looked like ants and we were joined by marmots and hummingbirds.
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| first switchback |
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| breaking for snacks in the morning light |
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| hiking a meadow next to one of the many lakes |
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| the "caves" |
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| Boulder hopping |
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| for perspective, Sam contemplating life on lg. boulder |
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| Rock with a view. |
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| The boys from where we were perched way up high looked tiny as ants. |
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| I was irritated that I couldn't get a clear shot from where I was, but after seeing this picture, I was pretty amazed at this combination of sun and lens. |
The day had warmed up quite a bit and most of us were excited to take our boots and socks off and stick our feet in the water. Oh, but we had forgotten how cold alpine lakes can be!! The most we could do at first is have competitions to see who could hold their feet in the longest. After eating, they began to play by the shore. Before I knew it and after warnings of "Don't get your boots soaked!" several kids fell in, including Cecelia who had her second or third meltdown of the day. This is one moment where I was impressed with one of my kids preparedness. Isabelle packed an entire change of clothes and charitably offered them to Cecelia. After changing into dry clothes she mellowed out. Isabelle's act of kindness brought her cheerful attitude back and she was all smiles the rest of the day.
Several of the boys by this time had stripped down to their boxers and hesitated on the edge of a rock trying to muster up the courage to jump in. My nephew, Vincent, had also ended up with wet boots and clothes so he found a large rock to change behind. At the same time that Samuel splashed into the icy cold lake, Vincent began howling in pain from his hidden location. My heart dropped and I ran as quickly as possible to where he was. He had fallen while trying to see Sam jump and ended up scraping his back, ankles, wrists and hands. I gave First Aid to his most serious scrapes and decided it was time to go. All the while, now Ben and Sam were in and out of he lake jumping in and swimming while trying to catch their breath.
I rounded everyone up but it still took a good 20 minutes to leave as everyone dried off, put on wet boots and gathered their stuff. We had 3.5 miles to hike back still.
The great thing about the Upper Palisades Trail is there are amazing views without too much up and down. The greatest elevation change is in the beginning (now for us, the end) of the trail. The way back was uneventful other than me trying my hardest to motivate the injured and the weary. Many times we would think, "Oh the car is right up there!" Only to realize we had another switchback to traverse. The climbs seemed so much longer than the descents seemed earlier that day. We still took time to enjoy and take in the awesome scenery all around us, best of all the welcome back view of Mt. Rainier, which, though so close, was quite evasive during the day. We arrived back to the van by 12:30 pm. It just so happened that the day was July 11th. 7/11. Free Slurpie day at 7eleven. We stopped on the way home.
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| Having a hard time smiling after falling in the cold water. |
What I've realized over the years is that the stress, the anguish, the frustration, even the injuries and weariness...all the negative aspects of taking the kids camping and hiking are memories that sift through their minds like sand in a strainer. What remains are the heftier memories of adventure, scenery, overcoming challenges and time spent together. I know, without a doubt, that we will continue to explore, I will continue to get frustrated when everything and everybody doesn't work together in perfect harmony, but I will continue to cherish those moments when they do.
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| Pre-emersion |
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| Boots drying in the sun. |
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| open meadow with Palisade Rocks as a backdrop |
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| Slurpie's make everyone happy. |
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| Rainier welcomes us back. |
