Coffee Pot Camping!!!!
We had so much fun last year at Coffee Pot that we could hardly wait to explore, splash through the mud, and enjoy the wildflowers again...and this time with more people!!!
Kevin's sister Jennifer, her husband Ryan and 5 boys joined us as well as Kevin's brother Shawn, wife Stephanie and two kids! Sweet!
Our family arrived Thursday morning to set up camp and scope out the trails. You gotta love it when you decide your campsite because of a little furry animal. We were trying to decide which site to take and all of the sudden a little brown creature ran across the grass. It wasn't a squirrel, definitely wasn't a chipmunk. It was our first Pine Martin!!!!! We had never seen one before. He was a darker brown all along his back with a black tipped tail, and a beige belly. And he was scrawny!!! Long and skinny like a weasel.
Coffee Pot Rd lived up to its name and reputation again this year. Even though there hadn't been a lot of rain (until we got there) the roads and trails were a muddy mess which is half the fun!!!There hasn't been much rain this year especially compared to last year, so the wildflowers, though beautiful, were a bit of a disappointment. Last year you could be waist high in Columbines, Forget-Me-Nots, Larkspur and Monkshood. This year they said the flowers never really took off, but at least we were able to enjoy the Black-eyed Susans and the Fireweed.
When all the kids were piled in the RZR, there was constant chanting of: MUD PUDDLE! MUD PUDDLE! and we had to hit every mud puddle on the trail and saturate ourselves in mud!!
One of the most drastic comparisons we were able to make with the lack of rain was when we got to one of our favorite sections of trail from last year. Last year there was a complete sheet of water running over the flat rock and then cascading down the side of the trail. This year there was a trickle. Also, there is a fresh water spring where we would fill up with water. Last year it was a solid stream of water, this year it would take a full minute to fill up your water bottle. The 2011 pictures are on the left, 2012 are on the right.
Shawn and Stephanie hooked up with us on Friday afternoon. We had been waiting for them by the spring guessing when they might be coming by. We had just given up and hopped in the RZR when 45 seconds later (literally) we look back and see a blue truck! They said they saw us but didn't think it was us because the RZR was brown, not blue anymore!!
Time to really initiate Shawn's new truck. We took them on a really fun trail and let him splash around and get muddy in the puddles. I swear, at times he really looked like a Ford commercial!!
Then Jennifer's family joined us and they brought the rain!!!! Just as they began setting up camp, the skies opened up and: downpour!!! We whipped their big tent up, threw all eight kids in there to romp around while we got the rest of camp set up and dinner going. Crazy!
The next morning we began the trek to Adam's Lake, a beautiful high mountain lake where you can catch the most beautiful cutthroat trout!!! Here's where the adventure begins!! Shawn in his truck and Ryan in his Suburban headed up the slick trail following Kevin in the RZR. It had been raining most of the night and the trail was REALLY MUDDY. I was in with Shawn and I have to admit it: I had to close my eyes for a lot of the drive. Get me in a RZR on the edge of a cliff or slopping through the mud and sliding all over, but put me in a large truck under the same circumstances, and I could barely handle it. It was the feeling of not being in control, feeling that huge machine sliding and knowing huge ruts or large trees are within arms reach. I was so embarrassed, but it freaked me out! Shawn and Ryan were pros though as their vehicles bounced and slopped over rocks and mud. The trail was so slick and downhill, that mostly they slip down the slopes, avoided trees and I was certain that we would all get stuck and not be able to get back UP the slopes!!! (Okay, so things really dried up by the time we were driving out. I was a wimp and drove the RZR, while the big vehicles didn't have a problem at all like I had anticipated).
Since I was in with Shawn, I got to witness firsthand how much he loves his new truck. There was a HUGE puddle and pretty steep shelf that he attempted. No go. We were certain Ryan would have to pull us out, when, oh yeah, lock in the differentials: he popped out of that hole beautifully and announced how much he loves his truck!! Ryan handled the trail like a pro as well. I found out from Ethan later, that when Jennifer isn't around, Ryan will take the boys out, find some hills and 'catch air' in the Suburban!!
When we got a s far as we dared take the vehicles, we piled as many people as we could into the RZR and shuttled everyone up the remaining mile or so to the lake. Some of the kids walked the whole way and we were so impressed with their little legs!!
Back at camp there was plenty of mischief going around with seven boys and one girl. Concoctions were made, booby traps were set, they explored, buried, stomped on, and roasted everything they could get their hands on and had a blast!
What an amazingly fun weekend camping trip, even with the rain!!!
