Last Trail Night

Wow... What a beautiful day today. Weather was perfect. Views were spectacular. Now, it's just chilling by the campfire and taking in some stars.

I love this place and hope to be back again some day.

Toasty warm at Rawah Two

Well, here we are at Rawah Lake number two...

It was an incredibly tough hike up, over, on, and yes.. under snow. We left a decent campsite at Camp Lake this morning. The hike up to Camp Lake yesterday was a tough one.We hiked up the famed Camp Lake trail, which goes straight up... One thousand feet in one mile. Ugh!

It's been raining and sleeting on us all day, but now, we're nestled next to a toasty fire underneath clear skies. Full bellys and dry, warm feet... Life is good. Tomorrow, we plow straight up a snow field to Grassy Pass. With a little luck, Rocky Mountain National Park will be visible from the top.

It's grillin' time in the Bow, yo!

Well folks, here we are... We found a sweet little campsite about one and a half miles up the road from Nashville Fork campground. it's just a short jaunt down an easy offroad trail.

Last night, we enjoyed a nice campfire and grilled "frat burgers" over it for dinner. The cousins and I just unwound and relaxed underneath the stars all night...

This morning, we grabbed a killer breakfast at Snowy Mountain Lodge. Mike's breakfast burrito was coated in verde sauce and was as big as his face (and he has a really big face). Chad and I had more conventional meals, and the were awesome, too.

After our meal, we hiked part of it off with a short little hike near Lake Marie. The snow is incredible here this season. It's higher than it normally is when we're here. I'm digging it...

So now, chef Chad is grilling pork tenderloins and Mike is on the potatoes. I'm simply enjoying the fire and documenting the moment.

Cheers!

Mud Bugs and Cliff Dwellers

Well, this past Saturday marked the 2nd annual crawfish boil at Mike & Miranda's place. Yummy good! Wheee doggy! Those little suckers are tasty treats. There's nothing quite like good friends, good times, and good craw-diddle-daddies!

I enjoy lots of things in life, and this little event is one of them. We couldn't have asked for better weather. Spring time in Texas is something magical. Usually, there are pesky insects a plenty buzzin' around all over the place but not this time. The only things crawling around the Cliff on Saturday lived short lives and wound up in somebody's belly.

Honorable mentions... The hosts. The crowd. The lovely lady who had the brilliant idea to make lemon drops. The Turner Avenue crowd for putting in a late appearance after championing justice (a.k.a. chasing down a crack head that robbed one of our neighbors).

Trinity River Clean Up!

IMG_2505, originally uploaded by humphish.

Hey, keep the Trinity beautiful! Hah... now, that's funny! So, this was the annual trek on the Trinity River here in Big-D. It's the one day every year, I get paid to float the river and pick up trash. Each of the five times I've done this has been slightly different. This year was no exception.

My yak rocked and rocketed up river. It was so easy to manuver and acutally came in handy in that regard as I pulled three capsized people out of the water. Remember kids... wear your PFD. Drinking and boating on the Trinity can be a spooky combo!

Hurricane Creek Wilderness, Arkansas

This little shot of Hurricane Creek encapsulates our trip. After a long day on the trail, it's time to collect some wood for a fire, setup the tent (and my new hammock!), and just soak in the view.

I just love escaping to the wilderness. Without it, I honestly think that I'd lose my sanity. The scurry of every day life and the connectivity that I've grown accustomed to are necessary, but the intrinsic value of "getting back to basics" offers refreshment for the soul. This getaway was my second trip to Hurricane Creek Wilderness with the cousins, and I'd do it all over again. The Ozark Mountains, while not quite as majestic as the Rockies, Sierras, or Casades, offer up a little something that's just as good...

For more pics from my trip, go here!

Abita Springs

Hmm... A little lunch and beer tasting at Abita Brew Pub, Abita Springs, Louisiana.