A Bear Grylls moment for Grace and a deer in the woods

Grace had a Man vs. Wild moment when she found this funky leafy/bark thing, stabbed it with a stick and faked like she was eating it like a marshmallow. The antlers came about as Spencer and I were trying to find him a good walking stick.

A mouth full of dirt...

On our way back to the trailhead, Gracie decided to run full speed down the hill you see Spencer sliding down. She totally caught me off guard when she took off running, but she made it all the way to the bottom before her feet got tripped up. She did a Pete Rose slide for a few feet and bounced up with a mouth full of dirt and a knee and elbow pretty scraped up. She started to cry but toughed it out and ended up laughing about it. Maddie helped doctor her up and I offered her a lift for a bit until she gathered herself. (the fireman's carry is one of Sophie's favorites. I use it sparingly for her only when I can tell she is really wiped out. She tries to give me the, "I have tiny legs daddy and I need you to carry me" line quite a bit.)

Deep Creek Canyon - August 25th

My best friend Patty (Scott Patershall) flew up for a visit in late August. We had originally intended on an overnight backpacking trip into some hot springs in Idaho, but decided on a couple different day hikes instead. The kids were excited to show Uncle P their favorite hiking spot. At the beginning of the trail, right before dropping into the canyon, we ran into this horse named Mandy. The horse's owner was very kind and patient with the kids and they thought it was pretty cool.

Along the way...

Some phenomenal boulders in the canyon bed and Spencer the billie goat.

Spencer being Spencer

Time to cool off, and I mean COOL off!

We all had a swim before heading back. This water was cold beyond description. Patty and I stayed out there for 5 minutes or so and never really got used to it.

Liberty Lake Trail - August 24th

Patty, Eric and I hiked the Liberty Lake Trail the Friday before Deep Creek. It's a beautiful hike with a lot of elevation, switchbacks, creeks and an old Boy Scout cabin at the summit. We had a great hike and some good conversation. The only drawback was the herd of power walking moms who stampeded by us like they were trying out for the U.S. National Powerwalking team. Other than that, it was a great day with good friends. It beat the heck out of being stuck in my office at work in front of a computer all day.

Here's Eric and his trusty guide dog (uhr, uh, little kid with black fur). The second picture is a grove of cedars about mid hike.