This was our second year camping at Wallowa Lake. My semester at BYU-I didn't end until almost the end of July and we knew we would need a vacation, but it would have to be low-key. Michael suggested Wallowa Lake and the kids and I whole-heartedly agreed. The kids spent most of their time playing at the playground right behind our campsite. They would come back to camp to eat and then dash back to play with their new friends.
We did drag them away from camp long enough to go on a hike into the Eagle Cap Wilderness area. It was a pretty steep ascent that ended in some falls. We did not make it to the falls. The kids made it three miles up and could not go any farther. I was super impressed their little legs made it that far.
We did see some awesome plants and the thimble berries and currants were ripe, so they stopped often for a little snack. We even found a plant that looked exactly like a currant but the berries were almost black. Although I guessed they were black currants, I didn't know for sure so we refrained from eating them. We found out later that they were black currants. Now we know.
These plants looked like a Dr. Seuss illustration.
We also saw a
stoat. It was adorable but I didn't manage to get a picture of it.
We also saw many, many deer. One even tried to climb into our cargo trailer and eat our properly stored food. The ranger hit it with what looked like a kids plastic baseball bat my kids labeled "The Orange Stick of Doom."
We also went on a rail ride excursion. We pedaled six miles out over abandoned railroad tracks. The pedaling was fun and easy, the scenery beautiful, even if the day was a little warm.
The six miles back were not as enjoyable. It was a small but steady uphill slope all the way back. The "tour guide" in back had a motorized bike cart. He had to push some of the slower members of our group at times. Ethan and Libby were behind Sam and I but in front of Michael and Grace, and greatly appreciated the helpful push.
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