Green Lakes Hike

"I never knew how wretched hiking could be or how nice Grandpa's horses are".

-Lander as we hiked the switch backs

Lander, Alonso, Jake and Josh pose in front of steep switch backs. 

This Spring we had planned a hike. It got pushed back, and back, until the end of August, which worked well because it allowed us to bring Alonso along! We decided to hike to Green Lakes in the Jedediah Smith Wilderness, just east of Tetonia, Idaho. 

Jake, Alonso, Lander and Dixie get ready for the hike

Less than a mile in and we already needed a break, except for Josh and Alonso. 

They are regular pack mules!

We had the lake all to ourselves, but were too tired to even really enjoy it! 

Or clean up camp...

 This lake was next to our camp. 

It was beautiful despite thick smoke in the air from wildfires in Oregon.

 Yoda (Lander) visited our camp, he did.

It took Jake a while to figure out the hiking thing. Or more specifically a fight with his mother. Anger is a good motivator when it comes to hiking a trail. By the time we hiked out, he had it figured out and was an excellent hiker.

Walker Road Trail

We went on a walk in the Jedediah Smith forest, A.K.A. Dixie's favorite redwood stand. Of all the redwood forests we saw, this was by far the very, very best!

All of the Jamison boys and their families except for Todd

Ava, Drew, Lander and Jayden

Dayna, Dixie, Shelly, Jenny

One last day at the beach

We spent one last day at the beach, the glorious beach.  This time it was the beach between Battery Point and Point Saint George. We were told that weather would by crummy at best. Not for us! We have never had more perfect weather in our lives!

Grace and Lander

The Jamisons, How Cool Are They?

The kids put on a performance for the adults

And Dixie couldn't help but put together her own little video!

Point Saint George Beach

Jake and Lander found this crab. It was a HIT!
Unfortunately, we watched as seagulls later ate it. Circle of life...

 Jake holds the crab

Kellan, Kylie, Tre and Grace 

 Jake, Tre, Eric, Kellan and Josh look for treasures

 Dixie and Josh chill

Lander and Jake spent a long time building little forts as the tide rolled in. 

It was serious business!

 Ava supervises 

 In the end, the forts survived. At least for today.

Josh hits rocks into the ocean

 Josh and Jarrod, at it again

Battery Point Lighthouse

Jake, Lander and Josh at Battery Point

The view from atop Battery Point

We waited in line for a LONG time to tour this tiny lighthouse. In the end, only Dixie, Jarrod, Shelly and Ava took the tour. The rest of the family happily played in the tide pools.

Dixie toured the lighthouse and saw a gray whale breach while at the top!

 Jake catches a crab and begs to bring it home.

Dixie and Josh

 The tide was out so we scaled the cliff walls and headed down to some tide pools. 

 Lander holds an urchin that Uncle Eric was brave enough to handle

Thousands of mussels lined the rocks. So many that we had to walk on them. 

Crazy thing was that they didn't break!

The lighthouse is only accessible during low tide. We walked across this ocean floor during low tide. The kitchen at the lighthouse once burned down during a winter storm when a wave flooded the chimney and washed the burning log into the kitchen. Um. Notice how far it is to the ocean? That must've been some wave!

Buoys just hanging on the old trees