Once every year, Adam, Andrew and I take off for adventures in the Pacific Northwest backcountry. This year, they got time off work and we brought along our dog Loki for an epic time in the mountains. We checked off all our goals by conquering peaks, viewing stunning scenes of four volcanoes (Rainier, Adams, St. Helens and Hood), swimming in a lake, building a campfire, witnessing a star-studded sky complete with many shooting stars and satellites, and praising our awesome God who created it all!
The boys and I headed up to Gifford Pinchot National Forest and hit the Goat Mountain trail. Although overcast the first day, that kept temps cool for our steep ascent. Across the pass, we spotted a black bear meandering through a meadow next to a lake, and continued on the trail till mile 6 when we reached Deadman’s Lake. We found a nice campsite, and then explored a few more miles to find Deep Lake (never did find a trail.) Back at camp we had dinner, made a campfire (allowed since it was a wet, cool summer) and had fun with each other and with Loki, sharing memories, thoughts and dreams.
Between a noisy owl and rambunctious Loki, sleep was a bit elusive, but dawn came eventually with new opportunities.
The next morning, we headed on a day hike to Vanson Peak, and while we were there the clouds lifted and we got stunning views of Mt. Rainier and Mt. Adams. The rest of the time, our weather was clear with dramatically increased visibility. A short stop at Vanson Lake and then back to camp concluded our day hike, followed by a quick dip in Deadman’s Lake. After dinner and the campfire, we headed out into a nearby meadow where the sky filled with millions of awe-inspiring stars, the Milky Way as brilliant as ever, and laying on our backs we talked and counted shooting stars and satellites.
The next morning, after breakfast and breaking camp, we packed out and made a detour up past Goat Mountain where we were able to see four out of the five PNW volcanoes in one spot. It was warm, and clear, and perfect, and we all wanted to save the moment forever.
Interspersed throughout the trip were serene moments sitting by the lake with God’s Word open, praying and praising the God of all creation. Occasionally we were on a ridge or peak where we got cell connection to send Holly and Alyssa a quick text or picture. There were many times of laughter at our silly but lovable dog, since this was the first time we’ve taken him into the mountains with us. With Adam now almost 20 and Andrew 18 and heading off for Western in less than a month, I treasure these connecting moments with my boys.
