We just finished another great backpacking section. The Spanish Peaks were truly breathtaking. Many of the kids said that they would love to go back. On the way to the Spanish Peaks we were able to stop in Yellowstone and see a few of the sights like old faithful. We ate lunch next to the firewhole river while soaking in the scenery. We said goodbye to Yellowstone knowing we would return and headed to Bozman, Montana. We did our grocery shopping and had the kids pick out snacks for themselves. For dinner Sarah and Sebastian made spicy chili. We camped at the trailhead which was a short drive from Bozman with the mountains cascading over us wondering what the next adventure would hold for us.
The excitement was high as we packed our packs the next morning. We ate lunch at the trailhead and started off into the Spanish Peaks. We had a short 3 mile hike ahead of us and we all where looking forward to some beautiful scenery. We hiked through fields of wild flowers along side a mountain stream. We set up camp next to a waterfall and all had a great time hanging around camp. Garrett set up his hammock and the kids gathered around. William and Daniel made us a awesome potato stew. After dinner we gathered around and listened to Daniel tell his life story. It was great to get to know more about Daniel. The kids all asked him great questions about New York City and his travels. We packed up camp the next day leaving the waterfall. We hiked up 4 1/2 miles to Jerome Rocks Lake. We set up camp just before the rain came. Sarah and Daniel were the leaders of the day. They did a great job of setting up a tarp to escape the rain. We had a awesome time under the tarp eating snacks and letting the kids take over the conversation. After the rain stopped Garrett and Chase made us dinner. They made a dish called Sandy’s Red Scare. Everyone loved it!
The next day was the highlight of the trip. It was a beautiful day and we were geared up for a climb. We ascended one of the peaks and got an amazing view. The kids were amazed that we were high enough to see the city of Bozeman and our campsite for the night. We stayed at the top for an hour to eat lunch. We then descended to Spanish Lakes where we camped for the night. This was a beautiful place surround by the peaks. We invaded a marmot neighborhood and often heard their chirps. We had some free time before dinner and played the game mafia. Garrett and Sebastian led the game adding a creative twist. Sebastian and Ben made us couscous that night before a brief rain storm. Once it cleared up we had a camp fire. We all listened to William tell his life story. William enchanted us with his stories of travel and adventure. After William’s stories we played the five finger game. This game is a great way to get to know each other. Everyone got the chance to share one thing they liked, a place they would like to go, something they did not like, something they are committed to, and something unique about themselves. After the game Ben volunteered to share his life story. He had all the kids laughing while acting out his various parts in plays. We awoke to another beautiful day. We had a 7 1/2 mile hike out all downhill. We were proud when the kids said that it was not a big deal and it would only take us a few hours. They all did great! We arrived at the trailhead in five hours. William and Luke did a great job leading the group. This gave us enough time to run into Bozeman. We got all our shopping and laundry done. We arrived at camp with enough time for Sarah and Bridget to make a great pizza pasta dinner. We got to bed early and woke up this morning for a Yellowstone tour before meeting our sea kayaking guide John. We are all doing great and having a wonderful time together.
