Adventure Is Out There

Last year I planned a day trip to Crater's of the Moon that was derailed by a snowstorm.  This year's trip started out a little sketchy but turned out great in the end.  We adopted a family motto this summer, "Adventure is Out There" a line borrowed from the movie Up.  No matter the circumstances of our outings, we are treating them as adventures.  

The morning or our planned camping trip dawned a little cloudy and ominous but cleared off pretty early.  I even called Hayspur Fish Hatchery in Silver Creek, Idaho to check their weather report.  All was sunny and bright so after lunch we headed out.  Silver Creek is past Craters of the Moon and up the valley on the way to Sun Valley, just past Picabo.  The campground is a rough little field near the hatchery but it met my requirements, vault toilet and water.  We even had a fire pit and a tree to pitch our tent beneath.  The wind was picking up as we set up camp and we lost one of our camp chairs to the fire.  We gobbled our dinner with one hand holding our hot dogs and another grasping the plate.  By dinners end a full gale enveloped us and we jumped into the tent for shelter from the cold wind.  We passed the time playing cards and telling jokes.  After about an hour it blew itself out and we went fishing.

The evening was calm and a neighboring scout troop seemed to be having some luck but not us.  The kids all enjoyed casting and reeling though.  Even Leah and Eva joined in the fun.  Back at our campfire we roasted marshmallows and then got ready for bed.  Eva wanted nothing to do with the PortaCrib we brought for her, so once again she snuggled in between mom and dad.  Temps that night dipped below freezing and pressed up against the zipper of my sleeping bag, I spent a very rough and cold night.  Everyone else seemed to sleep well though.  Kris was up bright and early and fishing for our breakfast.  He caught three big fish, including this monster.

Yummy, roasted trout for breakfast.  After a little more fishing we broke camp and headed for Craters of the Moon.

It was a little windy as we headed up the Cinder Cone, but never fear, "Adventure is Out There."  

A nice group of Japanese tourists took our picture up on top after we took theirs.

In addition to the Cinder Cone we saw spatter cones, different types of lava, and many other curiosities of the park.  I loved seeing the miniature versions of syringa, monkey flower, and buckwheat that are dwarfed by the harsh conditions.

We hiked the Broken Top Loop, a longer hike which displayed many different features and flows found in the park.  We wish we could have gone into the caves but our shoes had been caving earlier that month and weren't allowed in for fear of contamination.  Oh well, maybe next time.

As we journeyed around the park Abi, Tal and Leah answered questions, completed tasks and learned many things about Craters of the Moon which assisted them in earning the Jr Ranger Badge.  It is a fun program and added one more layer of fun to our adventure.

June 21-22, 2013