I can't imagine getting serenaded by my son on the Wyoming prairie for my birthday. But my husband can. Happy birthday, love!
Jacob will be hunting antelope and mule deer in Wyoming in the fall, so two days of our vacation were devoted to scouting the area in which he will be hunting. We drove an hour or so to his designated unit and began to search for an adequate place to camp off of the windy dirt road. We found a place about 30 minutes from Kaycee, through red rock valleys, rocky hillsides, and meadows with incredible views and patchy cell service.
It only took us an hour or so to set up camp and we were good to go- we are getting faster! We geared up and went for a short hike to explore the area before dinner.
"I want a BIG walking stick!" -TLO
After the hike, we made some hot dogs and got ready for bed. Jacob "glassed" for antelope and deer (looked through binoculars) while I read a book to Reed- a neat collection of Winnie the Pooh stories I picked up at a yard sale last week (for $1- oh yeah!). No staying up around the campfire- thankfully the altitude changes don't seem to mess with TLO, but I can feel myself tire pretty easily.
The next morning, revived, I discovered that there is absolutely nothing to do while back country camping except sit by the campfire, read, hike, or talk. So that's how we spent most of the day. It was truly one of the most relaxing and peaceful days I've had in a while. The weather was beautiful, the views were amazing, but my favorite was the silence. Just the sound of nothing but wind. Not something we ever get in Cincy, for sure!
While in Kaycee, we discovered that we were a mere 30 miles from Hole-in-the-Wall, a pass that used to be home to the likes of Jesse James, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, The Hole in the Wall Gang, and other unruly characters from the Old West. The history of Hole-in-the-Wall is a little cloudy but interesting. We decided to venture out on the rocky, dirt roads to find the pass.
The roads are really windy and bumpy, so I took a Dramamine to help with the carsickness. It helped, but it also knocked me out! I slept through a good part of the 3 hour round-trip drive (30 miles is a loooooong way on those roads), but I managed to get it together long enough to see the pass and some pretty amazing landscapes along the way.
Back at camp in the afternoon, we made campfire potatoes, played with TLO, went on a little hike, and chatted while taking in the scenery. I felt so blessed to have that time to connect with my little family. It was a simple day but also a fulfilling one.
Can't you just stay two forever? I want to capture every precious piece of this stage. His tiny fingers, his little voice, the sound of his laugh, how his belly gets big when he's full...
Sniffle.
Sniffle.
We wrapped up the night watching Michael Scott order an "awesome blossom- extra awesome" on Netflix, hearing the mule deer stomp outside the tent, and planning the days ahead.
So back country camping was hard, but also one of the best times I've had with my family. I feel pretty good after making it 2 days out in "the wild!" You all should be very proud of me.
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