FAMILY VACATION: DAY FIVE

We considered hiking a two mile round-trip back into Hidden Lake, a place we visited the prior weekend, but after Thursday’s adventure the kids wished to remain close to camp on Friday, the fifth day of our family vacation at the lake. Eating a leisurely breakfast of scrambled eggs, sausage, and left-over chili, somehow we did not mind the enjoyment of a lazy morning. We traveled into Leavenworth to visit the ranger station to gather more specific information on the Glacier Peak Wilderness, a 29.5 mile backpack trip that looks inviting, and the Pacific Crest Trail. Thirty miles back towards Seattle in the Skykomish Wilderness area, a trailhead that accessed the Pacific Crest awaited a full day of hiking on Saturday. Dale hoped to find an update for our camera hardware so that I could download and fix photos during the afternoon. The kids wandered through the bookstore while Dale and I sat in Starbucks taking advantage of their free internet service. Not finding what we needed, we gathered the troops and headed back to camp. An afternoon of swimming and feeling the warmth of the sun healed any sore muscles and refreshed the spirits. The evening found us relaxing by a most cozy campfire and listening to our neighbors singing good old gospel songs, some I haven’t heard in years. The patriarchs of this family reunion had been missionaries, and one other family is presently in Mexico serving as missionaries, but came home due to the severe problem of kidnapping, especially of young girls. Since the family had five girls, they came back to the states for a period of time for their daughters’ safety. It encouraged our hearts to see other families who value extended family and the creation of family memories. We fell asleep that evening to the sounds of their music, all singing in parts to a guitar that accompanied their family choir. I must say that this ended up being a highlight for me. The night brought sleep quickly, but soon became interrupted with the sounds of wind bringing in a weather system, which we awoke to the next morning.