Olympic Mountains, Day 1: Lena's first camping trip

Hiking the Big Creek Campground Loop trail

Our 20 1/2 month old Lena has camping, hiking, and climbing in her blood!  Her other genetically inherited skills like surfing, skiing, wakeboarding, rafting, bicycling kayaking, rapelling, skydiving, and all that other fun stuff should develop in time.

Given my own outdoor tendencies, it's hard to believe that Lena had never been camping before last month.  It took Mommy and Daddy this long to agree on the right timing. However, we both knew it was only a matter of time before Lena would get her first taste of sleeping outside in the wilderness. And the time was right!


Since I was hoping to climb Mount Washington (traversing across from Mt. Ellinor) this summer anyway, Big Creek Campground in the Olympic Mountains would make a perfect base camp/ playground for Lena and Mommy.  The campground is near Lake Cushman and the Staircase entrance to the Olympic National Park.

Other than two other climbing parties, the campground was a ghost town for our entire stay.

Putting up a tent takes a bit longer when distracted by a lovable little thing like Lena!



After setting up camp, the three of us started hiking the short Big Creek Campground loop trail.

It was getting late.  After a while, Mommy and Lena bailed to head back to camp.

Solo, I upped my pace to a brisk trail run and continued on to the 4 mile Upper Big Creek Loop toward the Mount Ellinor trail.

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By the time I met up with Mommy and Lena back at the campsite, it was time to start preparing Lena's first campfire meal!  Kathy prepared the fixings for chili dogs while I built up the campfire.

Mommy prepares the fixings, and Lena helps Daddy blow on the campfire

Daddy teaches Lena the fine culinary art of cooking chili dogs over a campfire

As our once raging campfire died down, we laid Lena down in the tent.  Unsurprisingly, she slept like a baby!

Coming this next week on Garth's Blog...

Olympic Mountains, Day 2: Back on the trails!