Brothers Hike/My 1st Backpacking trip

Every summer my brothers put together a backpacking trip. The goal is to fish their little hearts out. Jared has been able to go with them most summers. They are usually pretty challenging hikes and I knew I  most likely wouldn't make it out alive. But this year was the year that my mom and I decided we would try it. They toned it down a bit for which I was grateful.

Does my brother Charles look ready to go or what!?! We started bright and early Monday morning at Boulder Chain Lakes trailhead in the White Cloud mountains in Idaho.

 Jared is holding up two fingers, not to be cool, but to show that we had gone two miles.

 What!!! We have only gone two miles. My Mom was such a trouper, but when you need to stretch out, you just lay on the ground and do it!

 My mom enjoying Jared's camel pack. I had to take a picture because it looked pretty funny.

 Awesome views as we head up the mountain.

 The wild flowers were gorgeous.

There I am with my 30 lb. backpack.

 

 There is Frog Lake behind me where we set up our base camp. I didn't know if we were ever going to make it. What we first thought was about 5 or 6 miles ended up being 8 miles to base camp. Yikes! Upward and onward.

 Charles decided to get right into Frog Lake and see what the fish were like.

 Not bad!

 Here is base camp. My brother Michael and his kids, Emily, Rowan and Emily made it up first. My brothers Barry and Charles and Jared stayed with the slow pokes, my mom and I. They were so patient with us!

 It got a bit chilly and I thought Emily looked cute all cuddled in her blanket.

  Ammon enjoyed getting down in the dirt and letting his imagination soar.

 While my brothers and Jared took the second day to climb to higher heights and greater fishing my mom and I hiked to some closer lakes and tried some fishing ourselves. The fish were pretty tiny, but the lake was beautiful. My mom found a perfect perch to fish from.

 My mom decided to soak her feet for a while in the cold lake. All that hiking had taken a toll. I love my mom's adventurous spirit, her feet didn't though.

 Frog Lake was definitely named that because there were actually so many frogs. There were awesome looking lily pads and their beautiful yellow blossoms that covered one end of the lake.

 Here's the view from the other side of Frog Lake. Awesome!

 

 I was actually very surprised when we got to our base camp and saw a dilapidated sign that said "toilet". Wow! Really! Clear out here in the middle of nowhere??? I thought I was going to have to..well, you know....So when we went to check it out, this is what we found. It's better than nothing, right?

 Barry showing off his great catch!

 Jared showing off his great catch!

  Here is my frumpy, lovely fishing/backpacking attire.

 I love this picture of Charles fishing early in the morning.

Barry heading the troops back down the mountain!

I have wanted to do a backpacking trip for several years now, but have been intimidated by it. All my desires and expectations were fulfilled on this trip. It was very challenging, breathtaking, exhausting, peaceful and amazing. I loved spending time with my mom and brothers. I doubt I will want to do it again anytime soon, but I DID IT!!! And I lived to tell about it.