Note photos are not in order of happenings - I just haven't figured that out yet.  Mes photos ne sont pas en ordre.

The beginning - Le debut

My fashionable hat, mon chapeau du mode

The last time I backpacked I was 9 years old.  It was my mother, my brother, my cousin, her dog and I.  We were somewhere in the Wasatch Mountain in Utah and I got sick.  I mean throw-up headache sick.  Even with that it was a great trip.  I loved it.  My Mom is so very adventurous and did so much with her kids and now with my kids.  Fast forward 28 years.  Can you believe that - TWENTY-EIGHT YEARS!  I am once again hiking through the wilderness to find a campsite so that I can pee in the woods (no there aren't any toilets - not with walls at least), drink very stout coffee (enough to put hair on your chest - even though I don't want that), freeze my tail end off (a few pounds would be nice but no the whole thing) and become main course for the local mosquito population. I think that we missed the turn off to the trailhead twice. 

Glacier Lake - Lac Glacier

It did say that it wasn't very well marked, the book was right.  But find it we did.  John had my pack ready to go when he picked me up at the airport.  I was dropping the kiddos off at my mother's house (she is adventurous).  The weather was cool and the packs were full.  Our first day the goal was to reach Glacier Lake 5 miles in.  No problem - we've hiked that far it should take us with full (at least we think their full) packs about 3 hours. 

home sweet home, notre joli maison pour trois jours

Four and a half hours later we pull into this beautiful little campsite with a creek and a flat stretch of ground just perfect for our tent (thanks the Chris T at John's work).  We had made it! We did run into two gals that had been in the mountains for three weeks and decided that after a 12 hour rainstorm they didn't want to wait another day for their husbands to pick them up.  John and I thought that those gals were amazing but not the average backpacker (ha ha). We were feeling pretty proud of ourselves.  The tent goes fairly quickly and I make a bee-line for the inside to set up house (I was driven by the mosquitos).  John being the gentleman that he is, he carried an extra sleeping pad for me so that I'd be a little more insulated from the cold ground.  And cold it was.  There was a brief and I mean brief time period that the sun broke through the clouds which warmed up the tent but it quickly went behind the mountains. 

A little bit of sun - un peu du soliel

Dinner was ramen noodles with peas and chicken that John brought from home.  He had a spread sheet listing all the meals and snacks that we were to have over the course of the next three days.  After dinner, we hoisted our food ten feet high into a tree (that's to make sure the bear doesn't eat our salami) and being the very late hour of 7:30 we went to bed.

Homeward bound, le retour

 I think that we were awake more than we were asleep.  The clouds had drifted away and we were left with a very bright moon that shown into the tent for a good portion  of the night.  (Note to self - a better hat with earflaps that I can tie around my chin, glove liners and my fleece jacket.) 

another view from the summit, une autre vue au sommet

Thank you for having the foresight to bring my long underwear.  The next morning we could see our breath.  The coffee was the ticket and so were the packets of oatmeal and the sausage.  We were on the east side of the lake so we didn't get sun until the afternoon and stayed in the tent for a good while before venturing out (9:30). 

cute little pica, un joli petite pica

This day we were just going to hike to Pieper's Pass and maybe Deception Lakes but not summit Surprise Mountain.  Plans changed and we did summit. 

ready for dinner, nous sommes pret pour dinner

It was beautiful very much worth the sore knees going down 2000 feet to get to our camp.  We arrived to find someone's tent next to ours.  I think that we arrived around 5 pm and the mystery person was in their tent. 
In fact we didn't see him until 7 am the next moring.  He just hung out in his tent smoking something.  He was headed to Snoqualmie Pass.  Another couple camped near us and they had hiked 15 miles that day.  Their trip was going from Stevens Pass to Snoqualmie Pass (75 miles total!).  We were happy with our little 10 mile round trip.  Oh we are not backpackers yet, just wannabes.  This was just the first excursion to try it out.

On the way to the summit (still happy)  En route au sommet ( deja content)

Mon mari et mois avons randonnes en les montagnes pour trois jours.  Nous avons marches en 8.2 kilometers avant trouver notre place.  Nous sommes arrives au Lac Glacier.  C'est marveilleux parce que nous sommes tout seule et il y a l'eau qui coule pres de nous.  Nous sommes reconnaitre deux filles qui etait dans les montagnes pour trois semaine!  Nous pense qu'elles etaient etonnants!  Avec vitesse, nous avons construit notre tente. 

trail marker called cairon (karen)  c'est un cairon

Les moustiques nous trouvent et j'entre le tente vitement.  Apres dinner, le soleil vas derrier la montagne et nous sommes nous coucher toute suite.  C'est froids dans les montagnes et nous n'endormi pas tres bien mais parce que c'est le premiere nuit dans les bois.  La jour prochain, nous pouvons voir notre souffle.  Pendant la jour nous faisons un autre randonnes. 

the view from the summit  -  la vue au sommet

John was always checking the map, John regarde notre carte

Nous avons trimarde au sommet du Mount Surprise. La vue etait incroyable!  Quand nous avons retournes au tente, nous avons trouve un autre tente pres de nous.  Quelqu'un etait dans le tente et nous lui vue le matin prochain.  Il depart vite.  Un autre deux persons que nous parlons decider to fait un randonnes en 120 kilometres.  Pour nous, c'est impossible. 

At the summit of Surprise Mountain - au sommet du Mont Suprise

C'est presque vignt-huit annees que je le fait et c'est le premiere que John et moi faire ensemble.  Peut-etre que l'ete prochain, nous pouvons prendre les enfant pour 3 kilometre.

cooking breakfast, notre petite dejeuner

Our schedule was as follows.  John and I got up around 6 am and ran/worked out.  The kids got up around 8 am.  Breakfast was from 7:30 to 9 am.  Classes started at 9:45 for the kids and 10 am for adults. Met back at the room at 11:45.  We had lunch on our own and then free time.  Dinner was usually at 5:30 follwed by evening classes starting at 6:45 for the kids and 7:00 for adults.  We'd meet back at the room at 8:30.  The kids would then run off to the Rec Center until 11 pm.  This was the perfect schedule for us.
Building sandcastles and dams were a main activities while we were at Cannon Beach.  We visited Ecola State Park, Cannon Beach, and I think it was Oswald State Park.  We loved each of these places.  Needed supplies were a 5 gallon bucket, a shovel, and some small buckets.  These activities kept the kids busy for hours.

I couldn't believe how far he rolled this rock: up one hill and down the other side.

The mermaid and her dad

Finally the rock made it to his desired spot: fill the hole next to the drift wood.

Notre programme etait comme suit.  6 heure du matin, John et moi sont alles courir.  Les enfants ses reveillent a 8 heure.  Le petit dejeuner etait 7:30 heure du matin jusqu'a 9 heure.  Les enfants vont a ses classes a 9:45 heures du matin et notre classes sont a 10 heures jusqu'a 11:30 heures.  Apres nous sommes retournes a notre chambre pour le dejeuner.  Pendent l'apres midi, nous sommes alles a le plage pour construire des chateux du sable.  Le dinner etait a 5:30 du soir, et apres les enfants sont alles a leurs classes a 6:45 du soir.  Pour nous, nous sommes alles au classes ou quelque fois nous avons fait un tour sur la plage.  Nous nous sommes reunis a notre chambre.  Apres, les enfants sont alles a le centre du recreation jusqu'a 11 heures du soir.

Haystack Rock

This year we had the opportunity to attend Cannon Beach Christian Conference Center.  Our whole family enjoys this vacation.  It is a time of refreshment and encouragement with other Christians.  Our kids love their classes, teachers and friends.  John and I enjoy having our faith stretched and having time together.  A little bit about Cannon Beach and the Conference Center (CC). 
Cannon Beach is 8 miles south of Seaside which is south of Astoria, OR.  It's a small town that is geared towards tourists. 
There are flowers everywhere and the sidewalks are swept.  The attraction to Cannon Beach is sandy beaches and haystack rock which is the 2nd largest free standing monolith in the world.  The town received its name when someone found a cannon that had washed to shore there.
 Outside of town at both ends is a replica of the cannon that they found and in town there is a replica as well.  The Conference Center is located on the northside of town.  It was started in 1945 by a couple that wanted to offer a place for Christian families to relax.  This has certainly been true for us. 
At the CC they include breakfast and dinner except Sundays which they also feed you lunch.  the rooms have refridgerators, microwaves and a small kitchen sink.  The classes are set up for mornings after breakfast and evenings after dinner.  In addition to all that they have activities that we could participate in and a recreation center.  Our whole family has enjoyed this place.



Cette annee nous sommes alles a Cannon Beach, Oregon.  C'est une petitie village au cote d'Oregon. 
Elle a pris son nome apres quelqu'on a trouve un canon sur la plage.  Il y a un reproduction du canon a chaque entrence de la ville. C'est une village seulement pour les touristes.  Il y a des fleurs par tout et vraiment joli.  Cannon Beach a une attraction principale, c'est Haystack Rock. Dans la ville est un centre de conferences chretien.  Le centre est magnifique.
 Ca commence en 1945 pour des familee qui veut un vacance.  Il fournissent le petite dejeunne et le dinner.  Du matin apres le petite dejeunne et du soir apres le dinner il a des classes.  Notre enfants aiment leur classes et les enseigners.  En outre, il y a des activities et un centre de recreation.  Tout la familee aiment ca place.

While the boys were off in the mountains, Lona and I cleaned the house, ran errands and then went to Leavenworth.  Leavenworth is a cute little town nestled in the mountains.  The twist is that it has a very european flavor to it.  Our original plan was to go to the public swimming pool but we arrrived too late.  From 4 to 5 pm it is open to seniors only.  Then it doesn't open back up until 7pm.  Well that really didn't work for us.  We arrived at my friend Becky's house just as she was getting home.  We visited and then went for a walk around the river.  Again our plan was thorted due to the river park being closed because of bear activity there.  But it was nice for Lona who brought her bike to ride.  We went to dinner and had a wonderful time eating and talking.  Lona joined us in the conversation and Ben and Becky didn't seem to mind.  In fact Ben asked if my kids were always like that at dinner in restaurants.  The kids are more used to eating at McDs or Subway but they can behave in a restaurant where they are expected to participate in the conversation and we aren't leaving before 1 1/2 hours.  They invited us to come and crash at their house for the lighting ceremony around Christmas time.  I think we might just do that.  I've always wanted to and we could bring our skis/snowboards too.  The next day, Lona and I got up, biked around the town had breakfast and took off for home.  We stopped at a couple of easy hike/walk trails and learned about the railroad and the terrain for homesteaders.  We arrived home, put our stuff away and got ready for our trip to Cannon Beach while waiting for the guys to return.

Quand les garcons faison du camping, Lona et moi nettoyons la maison, faisons les course et allons a Leavenworth.  C'est un petite village au montagne qui semble en village dans les Alpes.  J'ai un ami qui habite la.  Nous pensons de nauger au piscine la mais c'est overt seulment pour l'age entre 4 et 5 heure l'apres midi et ouvert pour les gens encoure entre 7 et 8 heure du soir.  Ca ne marche pas pour nous.  Alors nous arrivons chez Becky a le meme temps d'elle et nous prennons un promenade a tour de la riviere.  Le promenade etait ferme au cause d'un ors.  Nous allons au dinner avec mes amis et parler.  Ben demande si mes enfants sont toujours polite comme ca au restaurant.  Oui, on le prevoit.  Ils nous invitent de revenir pour le celebration du lumier en decembre.  Le lendemain, nous prennons notre velos pour un tour de la village.  Quand nous retournons chez nous, nous quittons quelques place pour faire des promenade dans les montagne.  C'est un bon visite avec mes amis.