Vacation V: Mt Rainier National Park

Our last stop, Mt Rainier National Park - spending 3 days with friends camping and hiking in this beautiful area!

 Our very last campsite for two nights.

 Saturday hike during burning hot sun ... surprisingly chilly, down right cold in the shade on the snow. Did a fraction of the supposed trail but had great fun!

 Again a family photo, since Katrin really likes them!

 Yes we got style! Every month a little more - anyone need styling advise? We got a professional here.

 Awaiting marshmallows - yumm, luckily I only had a small dinner.

 Even popcorn after marshmallows. (And a whiskey for the dads)

 Early morning - I can't sleep anymore, I do some photography in surrounding woods and streams.

 Every camping has to end with a cherry-wide-spitting-contest ... I was so bad at it. I'll have to train for the next time.

I gave him a haircut a few days after our vacation, here he still rules us with his full hair length.

Overall we had great two weeks of vacation and camping, we could have continued for at least two more weeks. Let's see where our next vacation trip will take us.

Vacation IV: Mt StHelens

While Katrin stayed in the Lone Fir Resort and took care of the kids. I was allowed to scramble up Mt StHelens  with a good friend:

 One first shot before we started the approach to pitch the tent for our snow camp.

Volcanic landscapes and sun.

 We are still far below 4800' around here the other 3 groups pitched there tents for the night.

 Close to our overnight spot.

 We just have to level out the snow a little, thus we don't roll down the mountain in the night. We secured the tent with a buried ice axe, just to be safe.

 Our spot! Preparing dinner and melting snow for cooking and drinking the next day! The Temperature in the tent was around 5 degree celsius (~43°F), but from below it was cold. Well the Thermarest mattress was fine, except my hip bones were poking through and thus having only minimal insulation to the snow. The rest of my body felt pretty warm.

 Next morning, very early, coffee is the first thing we do cook!

 With crampons on the way up to the crater rim.

 Small crevasses on the side of the Swift Glacier. we saw a couple of larger ones in the middle.

 We made it, the crater rim, but a whiteout inside, no views in this direction.

 Looking back 'down', the direction we came from ... a sea of clouds.

 The summit photo! Amazingly with a blue patch of sky behind us - we had very turbulent wind, calm one second, having to crouch to not to be blown over 2 seconds later.

 Down we slide (glissade) and walk.

One last late morning/lunchtime coffee prior packing the tent and heading back to the car. It was a great adventure, I want more!!!!

Vacation III: South Washington Coast to the California Redwoods

Next section of our vacation, driving and camping along the southern Washington and Oregon coast line. We learned about Louis and Clarke, saw great beaches and noisy off-road vehicle and of course massive trees, see for yourself:

 Driftwood as further up north.

 Kids pretend to be a rock band, they call themself: 'Die wilden Jungs'. No idea where they got that from.

 Stylish riding down the coast.

 A nice climbing tree right next to our tent.

 Kids stay up till sunset, regularly.

 and run in evening light until they get tired - very tired!

 No, not palm trees, trees with few branches.

 The beach is just a huge playground.

 Oregon dunes, beuatiful! But unfortunately full of noisy off-road vehicles. Thus we just drove past them to get to the Redwood National Park.

 America! (and a very tasty bakery/cafe)

 Experiments with long exposures at the southern tip of Oregon.

 Redwoods are massive, we all look like tiny dwarfs!

 Can you spot Theda, Jonte and Katrin in this image?

 Theda is standing o the same log as I am, while taking this picture.

And of course, since it is hot in California, we do need ice cream in the car!

Vacation II: Hoh Rainforest

Next stop was the Hoh-rainforest, as expected it did rain there a little, though no hard rain, just drizzle. We looked out for the river otter we saw here last year, but only found tracks of it in the high grass. Pretty great place to stay - if you don't mind humidity:

 Narne at camp.

 Jont in front of a fallen tree. Within a couple of years it will be a nurse log with several new trees growing on top.

 Moss,

 and more moss.

 The lawns here are not mowed, it is deer that keep them short and other plants from growing.

 Plenty of fascinating tree 'sculptures' around.

Tree hovering across a small creek.

 The trees here are large - but small compared to those to come further south along the coast. Next we are on the way to the Redwoods.