What is a Week-End?

We escaped to the mountains for the second weekend in a row, this time for an overnight stint at Sylvan Lake State Park out past Vail. 

Many campsites book up quickly Friday and Saturday, but are open on Sunday night, so Peter decided to take off work Monday instead of Friday. Saturday night we also had mass and a farewell party for our associate pastor (whom we've grown close to as a family over the past year - sadface), so it worked out well. Let me tell you, stretching out the weekend and "skipping" Monday in the real world to go play out of range in the wilderness was fantastic. I think the Dowager Countess was on to something:

We decided to try a little something new and booked a no-frills camping cabin to maximize our time (and save my neck and body temperature regulation tendency toward the hypothermic) instead of dragging the tent along for just one night. We also looked at yurts, but thought the cabin best suited our needs this time around. The cabin had a fire pit, picnic tables outside and in, wood stove inside, two bunk beds (one with a queen mattress) on which we plopped our sheets and sleeping bags and pillows, and most importantly heat! It was nice and secluded in the trees, with a view of the lake and bathrooms and a water pump just a few yards away. 

We did just enough in the two days we were there--a good balance of hiking, fishing, cooking over the fire and roasting marshmallows, letting the kids explore, and relaxing. I also finished a book while there, of course. The trail circling the lake was fun to explore, and there was a path leading directly from our cabin to a trail that climbed the ridge above us, winding through a magical aspen grove and ending with breathtaking views of the lake, valley, and surrounding peaks. We've already looked at booking a longer weekend next year so we can take advantage of other cool-looking trails and time out on the water (the campground offers canoe, kayak, and paddleboard rentals). It was another worthwhile trip--it was another reminder of how much I love our endless playground of a state and how lucky we are to be able to enjoy it! 

FISHING

We watched dozens of trout swim past our hooks, but they were too smart to be our lunch.

RELAXING

These pretty snail shells were everywhere.

Just before we went to bed, we heard the sudden crashing of a huge-sounding
animal running through woods right along our camp site. My head knew that it was
just a deer, but my pounding heart was glad for some solid walls and a locked door!

We sat by the campfire for awhile after it got dark and we put the kids to bed.
The stars were brilliant and endless-we had some good talks about the
universe as we marveled at its beauty and immensity.

Pancakes for breakfast! Only one kid fell out of bed in the middle of the night (thankfully
the bottom bunk!) and blessedly they all managed to sleep until about 7am. 

HIKING THE LAKE

HIKING THE RIDGE

[The handstand didn't go quite this well].

Sampling of the wildflowers the kids kept sweetly picking for me.

My favorite of the trip. I love these kids, and
LOVE that this is becoming their norm!