Beavertail Hill Redux

Remember our first attempt at camping with the baby? This past weekend we gave Beavertail Hill another try.

By some incredible stroke of luck (even though the campground was well on its way to filling up) we were able to claim good ol' site #22, the same fated spot where Mitch's appendix was on the brink of bursting just last year. It's unarguably the best site in the campground with private river access, quite a lot of distance to the nearest campsite, and reasonably close (yet distant enough) from the pit toilet and water. Since our camping crew consisted of 4 adults, 3 little girls, and 2 hounds we were doubly pleased.

Tater Tot and A aren't as innocent as this photo might lead you to believe.

Mitch had the brilliant idea of strapping TT's lil' red wagon to the roof and brining it along. It's great for hauling gear, or girls, around the campground. We'll definitely be taking it on future trips. Although it was the source of a couple minor scuffles, I think the girls liked having it at the campground.

Ludwig & Meriwether

Meriwether is a 1983 air-cooled VW Vanagon. (Sometime ask Mitch about 1983 VW busses, and he'll tell you all about how 1983 was "the biggest mid-year change in automotive history", when the engines went from being air-cooled to water cooled.) Pre-kids, Miriam and Nate travelled around the country for several months in Meriwether before settling in Missoula. Since, they've added two to the family, and we were lucky enough to be able to join them on their first family voyage.

I'm always impressed by how much the rivers swell up the banks in springtime. It's not a bad view during breakfast either.

There was a nice kid friendly one-mile hike with plenty to see: horsetail plants, an abandoned hornet's nest, a perfectly clear stream, trees knocked down by beavers, and E's favorite wildlife, ants. Somehow I managed to be the only person without a baby strapped to them for the entire hike.

Meriwether & Ludwig

The trip went great. Mitch taught E how to haul jugs of water, the busses ran great, and no one had to be shuttled to the hospital for an emergency appendectomy.

(miles 220,157-220,209)