4 days, 3 nights Exploring New Places

 We left last Thursday morning from the Bowman trail head up to John Henry Lake.  The morning was brisk and chilly with frozen fingers.  The cold feelings only lasted about 15 minutes up the 7 mile trail, before our first break with sweatshirts being removed and candy snacks taken out to munch on.  We went with the Olson clan again and our friend's Jen and Adam's dog Friday.  We have missed having a dog and she needed some play time so we brought her along.

 We ate lunch in brownie basin looking up into this saddle where the kids are standing.  This is about 5 miles in and 7800ft, the last climbing they would have to do before descending into Wilson basin and JH lake.  They were tired but still plugging along.  Our original destination was North Minam Meadows but it was 10 miles in and the kids really weren't into passing up John Henry Lake on the way by so we thought we would check it out.

 

 and it was beautiful, so we set up camp.

I mean who could resist throwing off your pack, putting on flip flops and knowing you have nothing to do but this for 4 days.  I LOVE IT!

 I had bought these pink floaties for this reason and Nojah did not want to pack his in.  Because I KNEW he would want his sisters once we were up there, I was just nice enough to pack his for him (In his own pack).  He wasn't impressed when he found out, but he did enjoy it and carried it back home without any complaints.

We explored a very cool mine.  Still intact with boxcar rails and all.  I am normally apprehensive about the kids climbing around in very old holes in the ground, but this one was great.  I am still trying to find some history on it but haven't had much of a chance yet.  I think it's one of the most intact mines left in the wilderness.

Inside the mine.

 Boxcar rails.

 Typical lunch/breakfast/dinner scene

 Comparing finds during a scavenger hunt Jennifer put together.  I was so glad she had done this because it took up about 5 hours of the day and was super fun for the kids.  Nojah and Sarah found a grasshopper for fishing and Lex and Katie made a worm because they couldn't find anything.  But they were proud of it.  Lex swam across the lake in her underwear on her floaty to the island where she had remembered a feather when that was one of the things they were suppose to find.  It was great fun watching them come up with things.

 

 On the last day we hiked to over look North Minam Meadows.  The meadow was a 3.5 mile hike downhill and we weren't sure the littlest of them 8 year old Sarah would be up for the whole 7 mile venture before returning the next day so the girls and Jennifer opted to turn back at the overlook.  Nojah and I took the opportunity to hike down to play in the Meadow for the afternoon.  I always love the one on one time with my kiddo's and he is turning into quite a little mountain goat with few complaints when it comes to hiking, so the 3.5 miles with 2000ft of elevation gain getting back to camp was a piece of cake.

The best part was we got back to camp to find this man taking a nap smack dab in the middle of it.  This is the very reason why you always leave good instructions on where you'll be.  He had 7-10 miles to go to find us in the wilderness but he always proves to be a good tracker.  We were very happy to see him as this year we haven't gotten to spend much time together as a family.

 and even better he got to hike out with us and carry our tent out which lightened my load significantly.  What a good man.  He also got to listen to Alexyss cry almost the entire 7 miles out.  It just wasn't her day.  Oh well, she can redeem herself next time.  The only sad part of the story is I left my water filter of 6 years next to the lake, even after Sarah kindly reminded me it was there.  Tob thought it was not in my best interest to climb back and retrieve it.  We left notes on all the cars and at the campground and hope it comes home to us but if not I guess I will have to get a new one.

 Hope a good family finds you if we never see you again.  I would be devastated if you had to spend your whole winter frozen alongside John Henry Lake.

UPDATE:  A wonderful family from Portland re-united us and our pump.  We are very grateful and they said they tried it out and loved it.  PERFECT, they got a free trial and I got my pump back.