Bike camping is fun

We just got back from a terrific bike camping trip and the perfect outdoor weekend. We've gone two years with our good friends the Schmidts to this same location on the Suiattle River. This year, the Hawkins clan joined us, sans Claire (whom we missed...) for the first half of the trip which was a fabulous and fitting addition (since they love biking very much).

The Suiattle River is outside Darrington. Here's last year's post with details about the location and road- http://robandsaraegbert.blogspot.com/2010/06/bike-trip-with-schmidts.html. This spot is unique. Perfect for those who want to get away from the city and away from crowded campgrounds. We love it here. We had an entire campground to ourselves, with the exception of one couple who came on the second day. It's perfect for biking and perfect for kids.

So, every kid on the trip rides one form of a bike or another. The three 4 year olds are all on regular pedal bikes. The three 2 & 3 year olds are all on balance bikes or "b" bikes as the Hawkins kids call them :) Getting from the trailhead to the campsite and from the campsite further afield was a juggling act of kids riding/kids being transported. It works out well when the friends you go bike camping with have xtra-cycles- cool bikes with an extra long tail which make it possible to carry big loads of stuff or kids.


The Schmidts with Jasper


Thor and Anza

On Saturday, we biked up the road to the Downey Creek trailhead. Last year we had discovered this cool beach where the kids at played all afternoon. I was secretly convinced that strong spring river flow had washed it away or it would be a fraction of the size it was. I was pleasantly surprised to see that it was relatively unchanged. Shows how much I know about river ecology! The kids, once again, had a terrific time playing in the sand. Rob decided he'd missed out on enough nature school adventures and went over to a marshy area to see what he could catch. He ended up finding a frog and a fish for the kids!








Gid dipping into the glacial runoff river water


lunchtime


Group picture at the Downey Creek trailhead where we spent the day playing on the beach


Jasper and his buddy Thor

The kids all got along great. Six kids 4 and under, running around with dirt embedded fingernails, smeary faces, sunburned cheeks, sandy bare feet, and filthy clothes :)

Sunday it finally warmed up! We had nice, relaxing morning hanging out by the campfire.



Jasper and Anza both roasted big 'ol chicken sausages for breakfast.

We packed up camp and went up the road to a secluded meadow where the old Suiattle guard station/guesthouse cabin is. We ate lunch, ran around in the meadow, Andy caught a snake, road bikes, and tried to avoid stinging nettle.


Jasper, Anza, and Mojave


Gid pushing his bike through the tall grass


Mojave taking a breather


There's my husband, climbing up the biggest rock he can find ;)


And crossing the rushing river on fallen logs


Andy, Rob, Anza and Mojave made a dam

We are home and ready to return to the Suiattle and our earliest convenience! Hopefully that will happen again this summer. Thanks Schmidts and Hawkins for the adventure-filled weekend.