June Camping 2010

Sorry I'm a slacker and it took me four months to post this, but here's what we were up to in June (this is Peter, by the way)! To escape the deathly heat of the greater Phoenix valley Uncle Eric and I took the kids up to the Mogollon (pronounced 'muggy-own') Rim area - 7500 ft. elevation - near Payson, AZ for some camptastic fun! This was Alayna's first official camping trip so I was interested to see how she would handle it.

Beautiful view from Forest Road 300. You know you're out there when roads are just labeled with numbers.

It was your basic car camping, as I call it. Find a spot, park the car, pitch your tent. We had fun hiking, exploring, and getting good and dirty. It's a beautiful region of the state and only a couple hours of a drive northeast of Phoenix. Jeremiah and I have camped near here before.

Sinkhole campground near Willow Springs Lake, AZ. Yes, there are real trees in Arizona!

On the edge of the Mogollon Rim.

Little explorers at Willow Springs Lake, AZ. Alayna got a bit cranky on our short hike to the lake but once we were there she enjoyed playing around. Keeping Jeremiah out of the water proved impossible. So why fight it, right?

Overlook at Mogollon Rim visitor center.

Boulderin' boy. This was on a remote trail where we looked for an abandoned train tunnel in the mountainside. I misread the directions and we never found the tunnel. Sorry, Eric. You were such a good sport. Man oh man, that was a grueling trail, especially with a little boy on my shoulders for 1/2 the time. Eric had the lighter load of the girl.

Gotta keep movin' before the sun goes down!

Jeremiah first spotted this Arizona Black Rattlesnake as it slithered under a rock to curl up. We decided to enjoy it from a distance and carry on our merry way.

All in all, the kids did great. They played with some other kids in the campground, didn't wet their sleeping bags at night (some of you might relate), we roasted marshmallows, and my brother and I had the longest consversation I think we've ever had about life and it's complexities. Fun fun!

Alayna, the chipmunk whisperer:

Skater Boy