Dark Canyon Lake

We took the kids camping up in the La Sal Mountains here in Moab. We went up to Dark Canyon Lake. It turned out to be the trip that was cursed, even though we had fun and it was beautiful. On the bumpy ride up over Geyser pass, the ice chest worked its way off the rope and dumped out of the truck onto the logging road crushing 11 out of 18 of our eggs and dumping food everywhere. We picked up the remnants, and Brandi cleaned and saved what we could while I set up camp. The first night went off great besides some rain that night, but we all stayed dry. We had breakfast and canoed the lake and fished the next morning. Then the hail storm from hell arrived.

Here is a picture of the camp when we arrived before the hail storm turned it into a muddy pond.

Here is a picture of the camp after the hail storm turned it into a pond. It took me an hour to get the truck out of the that pond. The sides were just steep enough and totally slick that I couldn't get out. After turning it into a mud pit and cutting and laying down a bunch of pine boughs, we got out. Everything was covered in mud.
We slipped into the back of the truck to wait out what we thought would be a routine rain storm. Here's a pic from the back looking out.
James laid out all of his toys to wait out the storm.
The hail slowly built until they were nearly marble size. There were piles of hail about 4 inches deep everywhere.
It rained so hard, that half our camp was submerged in 12 inches of water. The tent and tubs were floating in the water.
Matt grubbing his skillet fried pancake.
James and Matt drinking up their hot chocolate first thing in the morning.
Pretty girl relaxing while Joe cooks.
Joe cooking bacon and pancakes over the fire in the iron skillet.
Canoeing with the kids. The hail storm is rolling in over the mountains.
Using Bryan's supersized flapjacker to make pancakes.
Emmy was the only one to catch a fish. She pan fried it when we got home and ate it up with lemon juice.

Colorado River Canoeing

I took my newly purchased canoe out on the Colorado River for the first time. I went with a friend, Chris, from here in town, and we put in down at the bridge about a mile from my house. We floated 4 hours downriver to Gold Bar. A thunderstorm kept threatening us, but cleared out after awhile. It was a cool trip. I scouted the river, so now I can take Brandi and the kiddos. I'll post pics of that adventure when it happens.

We were in some shallows on the narrow side of an island and Chris saw a bunch of carp boiling in the shallow water. He jumped out and caught one. Gollum the River Hippy.



We rock climbed these walls with the kids a couple of months ago.

Electric Lake

Brandi had to work this weekend, so I took the kids up to my folks' house for our summer "camping" reunion with all my bros. However, we just hung out at my parents, so I took the kiddos up to Electric Lake and camped on our way to my parents. We canoed, fished, and cooked all of our food over the fire.

James and Matthew stomping around the campsite. We set up right on the lake shore.

Emmy loved fishing. She fished at least 5 or 6 hours the second day. She said she was going to get up early, and true to her word, at about 5 or 6 am, I heard her get out of her tent. I looked out and saw her standing on the lake shore in the pre-dawn mists fishing away. She said she wants to go fishing for her birthday this month instead of having a party.
Matt and James had fun tromping around with the girls through the shallows finding dead fish, chasing minnows, and getting muddy.
These little prairie dog type things were all over the sage hills, and we saw this one swimming across the lake. It was exhausted when it made it to shore, and the kids picked him up and carried him around.
Moon setting behind the mountain. We enjoyed the campfire watching all the stars come out.
I bought a canoe awhile back for $150 from some lady in Moab. We used it to fish around the lake. I caught a 14 inch cutthroat, but everyone else got skunked.

Canoeing the lake with the little people.
We canoed several miles down the lake in the morning trolling three lines out of the boat. It was tiring.
These two rascals showed up just in time for a breakfast cooked in my iron skillet over the coals: bacon, sausage, eggs, and hot chocolate.
Cooking the bacon and warming water for hot chocolate.
The brood.
Looking south from the campsite.

Wyoming Golf and Fishing

We're up in Star Valley, Wyoming hanging out with Brandi's family. Boone, Mark, and I took Jacob, Ashley, and James golfing at Aspen Hills.

James hopped in the cart, didn't know it was on, stomped on the gas pedal and rammed into my truck.
Ben Hogan-like swing. Sandals by Teva, shorts by Wrangler, shirt by Redsand, and hat by Nike.
James' favorite part was riding in the cart....and putting on the greens.
Teeing off with the mountains looming.

Boone's power swing.
Joe's sweet stroke.
Mark teaching Ashley the art of putting.
Boone and Jacob.
James loved putting, but he didn't understand how to place his feet.
Riding the cart. My favorite part, too.
Group photo. Mark and Boone are Brandi's brothers.

Boone, Brandi's dad Eric, and I took Tyler and Emmy fishing up the Little Grey's River.
Boone, Tyler, and Grandpa fishing upstream from me and Emmy.
Father and son.
My "keeper" golden cutthroat trout. We could only keep 1 over 12 inches. Fishing in Chacos!
Emmy's first cutthroat trout! She thought her line was caught in a pool behind a rock, and it was....on a fat trout!
Father and daughter.