Lately

So,
   Lately we've been going to soccer games on the weekends. Things haven't really changed much on that front. Aiden is still not so fond of the kicking and the running and the competing. Luckily for everyone that ends this coming weekend. Z has been doing really well in school she's happy to go and see her friends every day and learns new crazy things all the time. She'll be done the second week in June. I'm done teaching for the spring and Teresa is finished in a few more weeks. She's set to transfer down to Kindergarten so we'll have to clear out her room at the end of the year again but we think she'll be happier in K anyways.

Here is Aidens soccer shot. Taken in a gym. And the 1 shot were he has this silly grin is the one that they picked to print.

Last weekend I went camping with Papa spoil me rotten. We headed up to the Rock creek area in the Sierras north of Bishop. It was perfect. On saturday morning I set out on a hike and he went fishing.

This is shortly after hitting the trail. You couldn't see the peaks from the trailhead so I had no idea I was in store for such an amazing hike.

Buster was a dog in heaven. Ice and snow and mountain water all make him really happy.

Right after I entered the John  Muir wilderness.

Bear Creek Spire in the middle and Mt Abott on the right.

The first and only unfrozen lake in the little lakes valley "marsh lake"

After I passed this things started getting snowy.

The second lake "heart lake"

Ice on the trail.

The first group I saw and passed on the hike.

All that melt made for some great reflections.

Mt Morgan.

Selfie in a clear mountain pond.

Then the trail got even more snow covered.

The snow was packed tight and refrozen a few times so it was sort of just walking on ice. Buster loves the stuff and goes crazy so he was always trying to pull me off my feet. I kept on keeping on.

"Long Lake"

The point where I turned around.

I made it to "Long Lake" and the trail goes right between that cliff and the lake. I tried walking it but couldn't pass without slipping towards the rocks and lake. I didn't have poles or crampons so I decided to turn around. My original intent was to make it to Morgan pass but if the conditions were like this at 10,500 Ft they were going to get much worse on my way past 11,000Ft. I crossed the lake and sat down for lunch.

Buster couldn't stop tasting the fresh mountain water.

My lunch view.

These people got to the same spot I did then pulled out poles and crampons and kept on trucking... flurg.

After lunch I took a couple more shots of Long Lake.

The water was so clear and calm you could see the logs at the bottom and the fish swimming around.

I set out back to the trailhead.

When I arrived back at camp. F.I.L. had caught and kept 4 good looking trout and had epic struggles with quite a few more.

Not bad for a morning fishing.

No one else in the campground had been catching anything  and I don't have the best fishing skills but after a short rest I put together the pole and headed out to give it a shot. Grandpa quickly caught one more to put himself at the limit for the day. I took about an hour and a half but I finally hooked a big trout and brought it in.

The next day we drove home with a short stop at the world famous Schats bakery. It was a really memorable trip. Hopefully the first of many to come this summer.

In every walk with nature one receives far more than he seeks.

-John Muir

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