Murhut Falls

Off into the woods we went...
Ready to explore a new spot...



On what would be our very last foray into the Olympic Mountains, we decided to take a side trip to see Murhut Falls. It's always fun setting off for a new destination, each turn in the trail showing you something you've never seen, or somewhere you've never been before. The hike into the falls was pretty, and the falls themselves turned out to be breathtaking. We were glad we'd decided to come see them!


The beautiful falls


This daredevil insisted on the need to see them up close


Photo Op: Chilling on the fallen log at the bottom of the falls




And checking out the cave behind the waterfall


It was quite steep with a sheer drop off between the trail and the falls, so the girls and I decided to enjoy them from a safe distance instead. Though Kate made it clear that if she were older she'd definitely be climbing down there with her dad...I don't doubt it one bit :)

Last Time With an Old Favorite...

We're going camping, we're going camping, we're going camping!
Hey, hey, hey, hey!!!



At the end of August we went camping in our much-loved Olympic Mountains one last time. It was a little bittersweet, knowing that this wasn't just the last camping trip of the summer, but also our last trip to this beautiful part of the country... at least for the foreseeable future. We've had a lot of fun times here!


The girls had fun playing in the cold water of the Duckabush River
... as they always do


The scenery was spectacular!
It's one of the very best parts of camping here!

 

And so is acting goofy around the campsite with Daddy!
Our family seems to be particularly good at the goofy part...

We've made some great family memories here...
hope we find some new camping places we like just as much
when we get to our new home on the East Coast!

High Ho, High Ho, A Camping We Did Go. . .

It's only logical that Jay returns from sea, and we leave to go camping the first opportunity we get. We rented a pop-up trailer from MWR, and headed out to our beloved Olympic Mountains. We weren't about to let the fact that it was April in the Pacific Northwest hider us either. We camped along the beautiful Dosewallips River. And enjoyed every moment of chilliness, drizzle, and fleeting sunshine that we got. The girls rated it as one of the best camping trips they'd ever had, so that alone qualifies it as a success. 

Enjoying the pop-up

Our humble campsite

This was how Buggy looked the whole trip.

Thank goodness I packed many extra clothes!

My grizzled mountain man

Perusing a camping book Daddy had when he was a boy

Hanging out

My official morning coffee maker, bless him!

Thankfully Ellie was prepared for the puddles.

She inspected them all!

Being silly!



Fairy Castle...or, Camping (Take Two)

For the first part of Jay's leave, we took the girls camping again. We went back to the Duckabush River. This time we camped near a small branch of the river that was like a little stream. The girls loved it. Their dad helped them build a cool rock tower, which Kate informed me would be occupied by fairies as soon as we left. She called it a fairy castle. Jay was also able to show off his prowess with tarps again. There is no worry about rain ruining a camping trip when Jay is around. The good times were finished out with daily hikes, lots of playing in the water, and s'mores, of course. We were also entertained by Jay's nightly bedtime stories. He found a camping book he enjoyed from when he was a boy and he read parts of it to the girls every night at bedtime. He also told ghost stories (not too scary of ones) which was a first for them, and after the first one they begged to hear it again every night.

Posing with the Fairy Castle

Camping Hats

Getting the hang of this camping thing

Jay's tarp creations. No camping trip would be a success unless our campsite is completely rain-proof. Of course, this also means that it resembles a shanty town, but that's the price you pay for staying dry.

Camping on the Duckabush River

We took the girls on our first camping trip of the summer. We found a beautiful spot along the Duckabush River in Olympic National Forest. The weather was oh-so-typical Washington dreariness, but the girls still had a wonderful time. Thank goodness for Jay and his unfailing enthusiasm, which got me out of my funk and into camping-mode. I always seem to drag my feet when it comes to camping preparations, but we always have a good time once we get there. And since Jay is always ultra prepared, we were able to combat the constant drizzle and enjoy ourselves. The girls had fun fishing and playing in the river, and we went on a beautiful hike while we were there too. It was Ellie's first time camping and I am happy to report that she shows all the signs of being a great camper, which as you know, is an important trait to have in this family.

Thanks to Jay and his tarp the rain stayed out of the tent!

 

The s'mores were delicious!

It looks like Ellie is going to be a great camper too!