Out On a Ledge

For over a week we had been planning our first hiking trip for this weekend. Early Friday we rushed around running our weekend errands and getting last minute gear (read: suitable clothing) for the three of us. That evening I made some snack bars, homemade flour tortillas, and hummus for on the trail. Saturday morning we were up at the crack of dawn to go pick up our Bountiful Basket and do last minute packing up. We finally got to Rattlesnake Lake at 11:45am and started up the Rattlesnake Ledge Trail. Since it was our first hike we went with friends who are always outdoors and more experienced than us. The trail is 1.9 miles, with more than a thousand foot gain in that time. Somehow David and I both made it to the top with our heavy loads on our backs. It was a *rough* hike for Lorelei (see her sleeping in the pack? she did that most of the way up). She woke up at the top happily exclaiming, "Water!" Up on the ledge she made me a nervous wreck, holding still only long enough to snack and hydrate, then she was ready to do some hiking of her own. We took turns being her walking stick and chasing her little crazy self. When she started getting crabby we decided to head back down, and surprisingly she was excited to get back in the pack (this being a kid who hates confinement and being robbed of her independence). It was a great experience and work out! I loved seeing the valley I grew up in from that high point, and I never knew the lake could look so pretty. The weather was perfect for it too. Not hot, not raining. It made for a lot of other hikers, but it was still awesome. I really can not wait to get out and do more trails! Once we were down and heading out we decided that a Starbucks refresher sounded glorious, so we got a Trenta for the three of us. I think Lorelei had the most, and when she was done she dumped the ice all over herself and stuck her legs into the cup (weirdo!). It was one of those weekends that makes you wonder why you don't make more time to get out and enjoy the big, wide world with the ones you love. I hope your weekend was just as good!