After our backpacking trip to the Olympic Coast, Edison said he didn't want to wait another year to go backpacking again, so I decided to take the kids mid-week on my own. It was a little daunting, but we managed just fine and Edison did a great job carrying some extra gear.
We opted for a short, one-mile hike, off the Mountain Loop Highway to a place called Independence Lake. It was more up and down on the trail than I was expecting, but the kids handled it all in stride.
The lake was beautiful, though the haze from the wildfires in BC was a bummer. There was a log jam at the creek end of the lake and it was perfect for a swimming platform.
We explored the steep creek exiting the lake.
We got a great camp site - the only one at that end of the lake. I put all three kids in the two-person backpacking tent and I got to cross off sleeping overnight in the hammock from my bucket-list. There were hoards of flies, but they didn't bite and they went to bed at dusk, thank goodness!
This is taken right before Reed fell into the water and had to wear shorts and crocs the rest of the trip.
At the other end of the lake it was wetter earth and a huge wildflower meadow with trail criss-crossing through it. The kids were giddy running through those paths with flowers taller than themselves.
Though some of the sounds of the forest were a little creepy at night, we settled in under a full moon and had a good sleep. We were all happy campers at breakfast.
Success!!! Perhaps we will try this again next year!
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