The weather for eastern Washington indicated low 70's, partly cloudy, and no forecast for rain. We packed our camping gear, food, the canoe, and headed over Snoqualmie Pass.The drive to the Quincy Lakes area is about three hours from Tacoma. We left a little after 7:00 a.m. on Saturday, and had plans to meet Rue, Annie, and Daisy at Quincy Lakes for a weekend of hiking, canoeing and camping.
Taraz and his friend Aaron joined us on this trip. I first met Aaron last summer. When he said he'd never gone camping, I was determined to invite him to join us, give him a wilderness experience. I described what we'd be doing, what to expect (minor privations) like sleeping on the ground, the possibility of unpredictable weather, the challenge of hiking and climbing... and no toilets or water, just what we bring. He was eager for the experience, and I knew that it would be challenging and fun for him - for all of us.
I prepared four salads on Friday for the trip: Coleslaw; a carrot-currant-apple slaw in lime juice; macaroni salad; and a green pea-soybean-onion and cheese salad with a Greek yogurt/mayo dressing. I've learned that when we arrive at camp, I always have to have food instantly available. Nobody wants to wait around for a meal to be prepared. They want to eat and go hiking! I pulled out banana bread and the four salads, made coffee and we were all set.
Within an hour three tents were set up, my cook-station was organized, and we ate lunch. Then we headed down the Dusty Lake Trail for a marvelous, invigorating hike. The warmth and sunshine (finally) were just so wonderful.
We hiked for three hours and had only one scary moment, an abrupt encounter with a huge rattlesnake! George was the first to hear it, he suddenly shouted and jumped, and everyone behind him slowly backed off. Since I was last in line along the trail they maneuvered me through the brush off-trail, so I'd not stand any chance of seeing the snake. But, I've never seen a rattler before, and once they showed me where he was hiding out, I wanted a better look.He was coiled, ready to strike, and was under a patch of sagebrush. I was surprised that he was so big - his circumference must have been seven or eight inches! And, either I'm hard of hearing (yes, I am), or he was far away, because I expected the rattle to be louder.
I really wanted that snake to MOVE, just wanted to watch him! I figured I'd never get another chance like this again, so everyone threw small rocks at him, and he just kept rattling. So I picked up a bigger rock and lunged it at him, hitting him right in the mid-section. He quickly uncoiled, slithered away, and when he spread out I was simply astounded at how BIG he was. All these years hiking in Montana and Washington, and this was the first time I've encountered a rattler. . . of course, I hope I never see another one.
Rue and Annie joined us later in the afternoon (after Annie got off work), and immediately all of us worked to get their tent set up.
The wind was kicking up as it often does in the afternoon, and it took some real teamwork to get the rain-guard up over the top. It kept blowing up into the air, flapping and throwing the straps in every direction. We grabbed them, staked them, and it became so obvious that if that material stayed up it would be like a sail in the wind, carrying their tent across the prairie! Rue took it off, and all of us removed our rain-guards too as they rattled something fierce. 
We got a fire started, and prepared dinner. Rue and Annie put some T-bones into a grilling rack and we put seasoned buffalo-burgers into ours. I pulled out a chili, buns, and we had hamburgers. Once the sun goes down, it gets cold, and George and I turned in about 10:30. Aaron, Taraz, Rue and Annie stayed up to visit.It was so windy that it was impossible to really sleep until the wind died down about 2:30 or 3:00 a.m. It just rattled everything, shaking the tents, bulging the fabric so it would pummel our heads - just dramatic, intense wind. I wore earplugs and snuggled down into the bedding, covering my head with the down comforter. In the middle of the night I woke up and gazed up at the stars. No overhead fabric other than screen really offers a stunning view of the Milky Way. The sky was so black, so clear, the stars so sharp and bright. Only the thin air of the desert offers this kind of clarity.
George and I awoke early, and listened to about eight different bird-sounds. It is really heavenly - coots, yellow-headed blackbirds, meadow-larks, raptors, and so many 'tweeters and warblers' most of which I cannot name. He built a fire and I made coffee, and then we headed out for a morning paddle while everyone else slept.
The water was absolutely still and the sun just peeking up over the bluff behind our camp. 
This was our camp when we returned, with everyone up and about, ready for breakfast. Annie made pancakes for everyone and as they ate I made my second attempt at 'Polenta with Bacon, Onion and Tomato', 'Fried Eggs and Toast'. This time it turned out - no Palmolive Dishwashing Liquid. This was a very hearty breakfast, absolutely necessary for a day of hiking. While Annie and I tidied up camp and made sandwiches for lunch George took Aaron and Daisy out for a canoe paddle. Then we piled into the van and drove to a new trail-head into the canyon.
We hiked completely around this lake. It was four hours of incredibly strenuous climbing and hiking. Although there was a trail for much of the hike, by the time we came to the huge rocks lining the lake-bed we had to crawl hand over hand, sometimes on all fours to traverse the circumference of the lake. Taraz, Rue and I hiked higher up along the canyon wall in patches of brush which offered smoother walking. But Aaron, George and the girls stayed along the lake shore. 
We had to patiently figure out how to climb one rock over the other in the shale-beds along the lake. We learned on this hike how important it is to carry gloves, as one often doesn't realize that they provide good grips and cushion the hands on impact. Rue and I had them, but all the other pairs which I'd packed into a backpack were left behind! George also realized on this hike that he's got to buy a new pair of hiking boots, something he's put off doing. Annie's hiking poles, from Eddie Bauer, malfunctioned and broke, so she left them along the trail. They were too much trouble to carry. I also left my hiking stick behind, as it required both hands to maneuver the climbing.Fortunately, my stick was acquired along the trail.
Our son Rue cut Daisy's toenails after she mentioned that her feet hurt. We'd hiked only a short ways when she discovered that she'd packed a pair of shoes from last year rather than her newer pair. Her feet were cramped! I thought for sure that she'd not sustain this hike.
When Rue checked her feet he felt that just clipping her toenails would help, and it did. She was a real trooper, not complaining about anything during the rigors of our trip.But Aaron suffered I think. Those two hikes really challenged him. He came away with a lot of impressions and valued the experience. He said he really appreciated watching our family pull together to get everything done, the teamwork thing.
Taraz, Rue and Daisy went swimming in water that was snow-melt just a month ago, while the rest of us ate lunch on the beach and relaxed.
It was fantastic to see everyone having such a good time soaking up the sunshine. When we arrived back at camp we took our time striking camp, and followed each other along the dusty roads out of the back-country. Just before we headed up Snoqualmie Pass Rue passed our heavy ole van loaded to the gills with gear. He gave a final wave goodbye, and headed home, where temperatures were in the 60's, with the forecast of more rain and wind in the days ahead.
