Many Miles Later...

I had an extended weekend trip up to see my family, and in four days managed to fit in time both at my brother's house and at Mom & Dad's, see old friends and meet new babies, and explore a part of the world I hadn't been to before. Me, Tighe, Mom and Dad spent Monday and Tuesday south of Lewiston, Idaho, actually ending up a few miles into the northeastern corner of Oregon, in a very remote and cut-off area. We hiked up the Wenaha River on Monday, putting in 8.5 miles and seeing lots of wildflowers, butterflies, and incredible scenery. We napped in the sun at our cushy, grassy lunch spot on the banks of the river, and even got to watch a couple groups of bighorn sheep climbing around on the basalt cliffs high above us. We spent the night at a cabin on the Grande Ronde River, and had a delicious cook-out dinner. Due to a miscommunication, we had been under the impression that the cabin had a kitchen in it; in reality, it had only a sink and microwave. We had not packed stove nor dishes with which to cook/eat our salad, potatoes and pork chops, so we improvised. Firewood was gathered at the trailhead and strapped onto the top of the car for the drive back to the cabin, a fire was built in a fire-ring at the edge of the river, potatoes were cooked in the microwave, salad eaten from the bag it was packed in, and pork chops cut into cubes, tossed in spices, and roasted on sticks over the fire, marshmallow-style. We all agreed that it all probably tasted much better than it would have cooked on a stove, and we also got to spend a beautiful evening sitting around the fire, eating with our fingers, which is pretty much the most satisfying way to end a day of hiking anyway.

 Off-trail botanizing. This happens a lot with my family, as does butterfly-chasing and birdwatching.

On Tuesday morning we hiked another four miles in a wildlife area in the higher country 15 miles away, and then drove back to Spokane in time to have dinner with Lisia before I had to catch my plane home. It all went by far to fast, but it was the first time in years that the four of us went on an overnight road trip together. Also I got my first sunburn of the year, and many fun memories were made.