3 Days in Teton Canyon

We've been digging our pup trailer that we bought earlier this year. Camping with a family of 4 and a pooch is much more enjoyable when you're not sleeping on the ground, when a filthy dog isn't walking over all of your bedding and when you have a heater(!) to take the bite of the chill off in the morning. Yeah, we're getting old.

With Fall weather in full swing we opted to make a trip to good ol' Teton Canyon for 3 days of pure outdoor awesomeness. The temps have been nice and cold to keep the bugs down. Teton Canyon is a splendid area but in the summer the bugs, mainly mosquitoes, are such a nuisance that I can hardly stand camping there. But come Fall, it's game on!

We didn't really have an agenda, just to be outside. However, we did pack the bikes and ended up going to Targhee 2 days in a row to mountain bike because the riding up there is so much fun. Ethan has been riding a bit this summer and it is great to see him enjoy biking so much. Climbing and mountain biking have been his big activities this summer and I'm thrilled that he enjoys being active in the mountains. Madi even tore it up on her bmx bike! She almost had a go-to-the-hospital-wipeout but powered through like a champ and rode out the gnar sans massive wreck.

 

 

Other than biking, time was spent hiking up both the north and south forks of Teton Canyon. It's amazing how beautiful this area is, even with all traffic the canyon receives, the place still seems pristine...thank God for Wilderness Areas.

  

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Leigh Lake 2014: The Trip That Almost Didn't Happen

l to r: Rockchuck Pk., Mt. Woodring & Mt. Moran

Many moons ago I climbed Mt. Moran with my friend Painter. En route to the climb, we canoed across Leigh Lake. During that paddle I noticed that there were a few backcountry campsites along the shoreline. Ever since then I've been itching to get back and take Brittany to camp there. We finally got to make that trip this past weekend. Plus, to make the trip even better, our good friends Derick & Janece came along as well.

Britt in front with the Moores in the lead on String Lake.

Seeing how canoe camping was new to us, we opted to ditch the kids and use this as a quasi-test run. Aside from the snafu trying to get our permit (more about that later), everything went off without a hitch, mainly no lost gear in the lake and no bear attacks!

We had tentatively planned on hiking into Paintbrush Canyon but opted to take advantage of having canoes and stayed on the water, paddling to different beaches and checking out the islands on the lake. All that paddling leads to hunger eventually though. Being able to bring coolers means one can bring food that one normally wouldn't/couldn't on a regular backpacking trip...and we took full advantage of that!

Each night we sat on the shore watching the stars reflecting off the calm water of the lake, something I've never really paid much attention to before. It was mesmerizing. Also, we followed climber's descending Mt. Moran guided by their headlamps. This trip put the fun back into Teton Park for us and we will definitely be back with the kids.

Our breakfast mascot who didn't seem to mind

walking right through our camp as she nibbled away on foilage.

Chillin', Teton style.

So about the title of this entry: Our permit that I reserved and paid for back in January 2014 was given away to another camper the morning of our arrival. Park reservation policy states that users wishing to obtain a backcountry camping permit need to be to the ranger's office by 10 a.m. the morning of their arrival, even if the user has paid for it. If they don't show up around 10 am, the computer system automatically cancels the reservation and it becomes available to the first person who wants it. I've seen people at the permit stations before waiting for any backcountry permits that become available due to "no-shows" so I've been aware of it. However, if one cannot make it by then, policy states that they are to call ahead and let the ranger know. I called the day before and talked to a ranger telling him we wouldn't be there until 1 pm. He said "No problem, you are good to go" or something to that effect. Not so. Seemingly half-assed apologies from the park staff abounded that morning as I was told "Sorry, there is nothing I can do, sir". Fuming, we demanded to talk to a superior. After a millennium of waiting, the head Ranger approached us and had taken care of the situation. This is were I have to tip my hat to this guy for not just brushing us off and offering us some lame campsite in some lame campground. They actually sent some rangers out to Leigh Lake and intercepted the person who ended up with "our" permit. All went well and we ended up getting our 3 days as planned. However, this little hiccup set the stage for some silly attitudes and our mantra was born: ""Don't f**k with 15!"

View from camp or Mt. Moran, 12,605'.

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Ethan's 1st Mtn. Bike Ride

Ethan and I hit the trail yesterday for his first time on a mountain bike. He got a sweet bike for his birthday last week and has been eager for me to take him out. We hit the Buckskin-Morgan trail at Kelly Canyon and found trail conditions to be favorable. The trail is perfect for beginners as it doesn't have much uphill/downhill on it but just enough technicalities on it to keep one aware. He did really well and was smiling and hooting at times. On the way home we asked me when we were going again. Not soon enough Big E!

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City of Rocks in April

We recently purchased a used pop up trailer and were eager to try it out so we headed to the City of Rocks near Almo. Obviously we weren't the only ones with camping in mind at COR because we ended up barely getting the last site. Crazy. The weather was great despite gnarly winds in the middle of the night and throughout most of Sunday, but there was ample sunshine and the kids and Juno, (our newest family addition of the canine sort), had a blast exploring through all the boulders and pinyon pines. The trailer worked fine as well.

The trip definitely sparked a big desire to start frequenting the City again as the trip used to be a weekly thing for me when I first started climbing. The family really enjoyed it (bonus!) and there are so many climbing routes that I haven't done down there (double bonus!) that the place will keep us coming back again and again.

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Ethan and The Belt which is Black

Ethan and his Black Belt graduate class.

This past Friday evening we got to see the culmination of Ethan's 2 1/2 years of hard work and commitment to his karate. His instructors have been telling them for some time now that this test was to obviously be their hardest to date – and they were right.

Big E and his hard-earned belt. (Note the knuckles)

There was a fair amount of sweat, a few tears and even some blood(!) It was pretty cool, as well as revealing, to see your kid pushed to his or her current physical limits. Ethan sucked up the pain and persevered. He passed with the highest test scores of his black belt class. He was only 1 point away from a perfect score! Way to go Big E! We are so proud of you and can't wait to celebrate your 2nd Black Belt graduation!

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R.I.P. Isabella (Oct. 3, 2000 – Nov. 10, 2014)

We lost our beloved Izzy yesterday. She enriched our lives with so much joy, devotion and love. From the day Brittany brought her home in November 2000 she was our constant companion – our little black bear that never left our side. Many adventures did she go on, especially with Matt as they scoured the backcountry looking for new cliffs to climb. Aloha oe' Izzy, until we meet again our furry friend.

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Oh, Montana!

 Wade Lake, Montana

With the heat of summer in full effect, the Westside TeNgaios were looking for an escape that involved swimming, adventure, cooler temps and ample fun – and we found it in Montana.

Our main objective for the camp trip was to visit Lewis and Clark Caverns. I didn't want our family to stay at the Caverns campground because there is really no shade and it's pretty bleak as far as a campgrounds go. We prefer camping in the pines where the air is cooler, shade is in abundance and the campsites aren't sandwiched together, (i.e. RV parks). Beaver Cr. campground on Quake Lake fit the bill perfectly. Plus, it's within easy driving distance to the caverns.

 Beaver Cr. Campground

A content pooch

For some reason I hadn't been back to this campground since I visited Idaho way back in 1984. I know my Aunt Barbara and Uncle Roger used to frequent the site before they built their cabin near Wade Lake (more about the lake later) so there must be a reason they always went back.

When we arrived at the campground we noticed a sign saying a bear had been sighted in the campground the day before and they had a bear trap set up. Not sure if it was a grizzly or just a black bear, we were a bit nervous. However, as we drove around the loop we noticed a few other families camping in the area in tents so we figured it can't be that bad. Plus, it'll keep the crowds away! We found out a few minutes later from the camp host that it was just a small black bear so we were cool with it. Camp on!

With camp set up, the temps in the 90's in the valley below and the whole afternoon to play we set off to see what all the hub bub was about in regards to Wade and Cliff Lakes.

 

Paddling on Wade Lake

 

 One stoked little girl

  

Big Brother showing Little Sister the art of stone skipping

  

Britt chillaxin' and soaking up the sun on Wade Lake

We were pleasantly surprised with Wade Lake – what a gem! I can't believe we've never been to this lake as it's not that far from I.F. It's a great place to swim and chill. We rented a canoe and it was awesome to see the kids fight over who got to paddle. I think everyone except Izzy dog were having fun out in the middle of the lake. After ample sunshine and water shenanigans, we called it a day and headed back to camp and an early bedtime.

The following day we jetted for Lewis and Clark Caverns to the north beyond Ennis and Norris. This was another destination that my uncle Roger had taken me to back in '84 (on the back of his Silverwing…it was awesome, thanks Roger!) and I had been waiting until the kids were old enough to hike it on their own and enjoy it.

Photo caption not needed

Britt and Rewi in da' cave

Madi & Ethan at Lewis & Clark Caverns, Montana

Despite the commercialization of the caverns and all the people lead by park guides and packed into the holes in the mountain, it's a unique and visually stunning experience. The caverns are mostly lit up and there are railings for the many steps throughout (use them, as the floors can be quite slick I found out). Plus, watch your head in some spots. The smell isn't as musty as I remember and the guide told me that the cave is actually drying out so the damp, musty smell has lessened. Interesting.

Being a climber I couldn't help but notice awesome looking features, holds, futuristic routes – just crank those lights up some more, let me put some bolts/anchors in and we'd have a kick ass crag!

Spawns of TeNgaio

Anyhow, the kids thought it was really cool and Britt thought so too. It's about a 2 hour round trip and being the middle of July, you really get to experience the temperature variables of the outside air versus the inside of the caves. Another good thing about the caverns is that they have shaded kennels in the parking lot for pooches. Izzy wasn't too stoked about it though but we made it up to her later.

Ethan shows us how it's done

On our way back just before turning into our campground Britt yelled "bear!". Sure enough there was our little black bear running across the road, scrambling up the hillside, you beat the system once again little dude. A quick dip in Quake Lake for the kids and then it was back to camp for dinner.

Fixin' for a grubbin'

Back at camp it was time to try out dutch oven enchiladas – they rocked! Especially when served with a fine, cold craft brew. I could do this every day.

Day 3 found us pigging out on heart-clogging meat products and such for breakfast before breaking camp. It's funny – I'm usually ready to get home after some of the these camp trips, but not this time – I could've stayed up there at Beaver Cr. much longer.

One worn out Isabella who is glad to be home

We made one more trip over to Wade Lake before heading home and were pleased to see hardly anyone there. I guess it helped being Monday and all. Oh, and we saw a badger…it may have even been a Honey Badger.

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