We spent 4 days with family at Jones Bay, on Banks Lake, and did some great hiking, climbing, kyaking and canoeing. The lake is in eastern Washington, in a vast, dry basin lined with basalt cliffs and lava outcroppings. It is great hiking country, in spite of snakes, and the views are spectacular. The ground is very soft, sandy, and dotted with sagebrush. Perfect for pitching a tent.
Tomorrow I'll post a few more pictures, of family, but I thought I'd post a little today while I'm putting away camping gear and washing clothes. It takes a day just to unpack.
My sister and her husband arrived about an hour after we got here; they came in a camper-van, all self-contained. My daughter Ruhiyyih and my other daughter, Laurel, and her husband arrived an hour before sunset. George helped them all set up their tents and I got them fed before this sunset spilled over the water.
I'll have to admit that I need sleeping comfort at night - we've done a lot of experimenting, from one-man tents and sleeping bags to a 3 man tent, with 4-inch foam mats that create a Kingsize bed. A down comforter and afghan work for cold temperatures, which occur about 2:00 a.m. Until then, I use a simple homemade quilt.
I like the tent windows open, so we can see the stars and get plenty of fresh air. I enjoy getting up just to look out at the Milky Way - which is something I never get to see in the city.
In the middle of the night the coyotes began howling, and they spooked the Canadian Geese several times, making them fly up. There was a lot of commotion by raccoons at the water's edge. The next day when I checked the beach, all the footprints were in the sand, a real gathering of wildlife.
