I’ve got one last batch of sun-shiny September photos to share, and then I suppose it’s time to crank up the fireplace plant my feet firmly in Fall (well, hello, October!).
August went by without a single Schnell family campout, but I was bound and determined to set up our tent one last time before summer came to a close. We found ourselves with wide-open schedules a couple of days after Labor Day and decided to try our luck at one of the first-come, first-serve campgrounds near Lake Wenatchee, where temps were running about 10 degrees warmer than Seattle. We sped down Highway 2 on a Thursday morning and then bumped along a dirt road for a few miles before landing at Glacier View campground, fingers crossed that there would be a site or two available. Turns out, every site but one was available – we nearly had the whole place to ourselves!
We took our time selecting a primo site right on the water and then got to work setting up camp.
The minute the tent was pitched, Juliette started rummaging around in her bag for her swimsuit and put me to work on inflating her mermaid friend.
The rest of the day was a lazy, hazy haze of bobbing and paddling.
I set out on the SUP and thought I would try to paddle to the other end of Lake Wenatchee. Turns out, Lake Wenatchee is huge, so I turned around after 20 minutes and found Shane and Juliette tucked cozily into the hammock.
Juliette pondered life’s big questions and worked on her super-hero poses while I got dinner ready.
After spaghetti and camp stove s’mores (burn ban…), we made our way to the water to take in the last of the day’s rays.
Shane and Juliette worked tirelessly on their rock-skipping games; Jules was over the moon when her first stone did a little hop on the lake.
Goodnight, lake..
We awoke on Friday to much clearer skies, as much of the smoke had blown through overnight. Now I see why the campground is called Glacier View!
I sat by the lake with my thermos of coffee while Juliette scoured the shore for more perfect skipping stones.
We packed a picnic lunch around noon and then made the short trek up to Hidden Lake for a mid-day dip.
We ate our sandwiches on a shady log, ditched our shoes and socks, and then waded into the water for some minnow-hunting. Shane’s patience and cunning (and bread crumbs) paid off in the form of a tiny, squiggly little fish. Juliette was thrilled by it all.
It might be time to get this kid a pet.
Juliette’s legs gave out when we were about five minutes away from camp, so Shane lugged her along for the last quarter mile. She always looks back at me with such sly satisfaction when Dad agrees to carry her…
Friday afternoon looked much like Thursday afternoon. Paddle, float, repeat.
I went out for a long solo paddle and wound my way into a serene little channel at the northern tip of the lake.
By the time I paddled out of the protected little channel, the winds had picked up and the skies had turned gray. It was a choppy ride back to shore – I was glad to land on solid ground, collapse in my camp chair, and watch Juliette play a rousing game of “toss the rock into the tree stump”. Only child games…
We turned in extra-early that night, zipping ourselves into our tent before 7 pm when we felt a few raindrops start to fall.
I figured Juliette would easily crash after a long day of playing, but she showed surprising stamina with the books and headlamp!
We decided to head back to Seattle on Saturday – our camping itch had been scratched and we were ready to enjoy the comforts of home. First, though, an hour-long coffee and hot chocolate session in our camp chairs.
Juliette spent much of the morning “cooking” while Shane and I packed up. She was a busy little bee, mixing water and black pepper and salt together to make the best soup she’s ever tasted.
Cheers, Lake Wenatchee!
We stopped in Leavenworth on the way home for taffy, bratwursts, and Christmas ornaments (the Bavarian essentials, really).
And with that, Schnell Camp Season 2018 is a wrap! We really pushed the limits of the PNW’s camping window this year, heading out the first weekend of June and the second weekend of September (with three other trips in between!). Quite possibly my favorite summer ever…