Wednesday, September 25, 2019

 

Craters of the Moon

After a night in Salmon, ID to get refreshed from the wilderness, we started south to Craters of the Moon National Monument & Preserve. On the way we stopped for a hike and soak in Goldbug Springs. It was a hot, exposed 2 mile hike but well worth the trip.




















Arrived late to Craters of the Moon and found a spot to sleep thanks to some friendly campers who let us share their space.


Got an early start to explore before the volcanic landscape got heated up and then spent the afternoon exploring the lava tube caves. Some are deep and insulated enough to still have ice in July!

On the way up Inferno Cone

On the summit





Wednesday, September 18, 2019

 

Middle Fork of the Salmon

The main event of Los Flemings summer 2019 was the Middle Fork of the Salmon River. Six days to go nearly 100 miles through a portion of the Frank Church River of No Return Wilderness in central Idaho. We had a full complement of 24 in our party with 6 rafts, 5 kayaks, 3 duckies and one SUP. We had a nice medium flow, beautiful weather and a solid group of fellow river runners.


Rigged boats and loaded at Boundary Creek on July 14. The most exciting part was sending fully loaded rafts down this ramp to the river.


Set off from Boundary Creek on July 15 and had our first lunch on the river while sitting in the hot
springs at Trail Flat camp. The first day was very tight and technical and the big rafts got stuck on a few rocks but had no trouble with the bigger rapids - Murph's Hole and Velvet Falls. At lunch we pulled out the double ducky and Mame spent the rest of the trip zipping around with various passengers. Our first camp was Sheepeater with more hot springs for soaking.





Day 2 was Sheepeater Camp to Lost Oak Camp, our longest mileage day. Got some help rowing from the kids. Jack and Ford rowed 'Viking style' to accommodate Jack's broken wrist.
























Across from our camp at Lost Oak was the most dramatic hot spring of the trip at Sunflower Flats. The springs came down a hill and pooled on a little cliff overlooking the river.











Day 3 was Lost Oak to Shelf Camp. Stopped for short side hike to pictographs and Sam did more rowing.










Day 4 - Shelf Camp to Wilson Creek. Main event was Tappan Falls and then ice cream at the Flying B ranch.















Mame levitating while watching big horn sheep
Day 5 - Wilson Creek to Ship Island Camp. Stopped along the way for the teens to hike up and run down Big Creek. This also marked our entrance into the Impassable Canyon.


















Day 6 - Ship Island to Cache Bar boat ramp - the take out

Our crew on the last morning

















Wednesday, September 11, 2019

 

the road west





After about 72 hours at home from Week of Rivers, the boys and I started west. We did our best to get past the plains at a good clip so we could do a little exploring in the Rockies before Mame flew in to Salt Lake City.










Eagle Lake outside Denver

Breakfast stop in Frisco, CO



 

Week of Rivers

WoR 2019 got off to a bit of a rocky start when Mame picked up Ford and Jack from camp. Jack had crashed on the giant rope swing and broken his wrist. The good news was that after an initial consultation in Morganton, the doctor in Asheville was able to fit him with a new kind of custom cast that he could take on and off to allow to dry. It prevented him from paddling but he was able to join in some of the one the water fun.

Meanwhile, Sam and I were the advance party and went and set up at Smoky Mountain Meadows. For the first weekend we got runs in on the Upper and Middle Ocoee. It was my first time on the Upper section since college and my first in a canoe. We had a great group and all went well.

Sam at the NOC play wave

Sam at Alien Boof on the Upper Ocoee













On Monday Ford, Sam and I participated in the clean up on the Tuck while Mame and Jack visited the doc.












Tuesday - Mame and Ford participated in a canoe clinic on the Tuck. He's really taking off with his solo boating. Sam played the wave at NOC and then caught the US women vs. England. And Jack and I had a great hike up to Haeo Pinnacle in the Joyce Kilmer National Forest.




Ford styling the creek line at Nantahala Falls
Wednesday - we were around the NOC for racing and Bad Idea Theater (folks running the falls on pool floats). In the afternoon, Ford was feeling confident and had his first solo run of Nantahala Falls!

Thursday was Pirates of the Tuck day - lots of water fighting all the way down. Friday we were back on the Nantahala. Jack took the day off the water and we canoed with Ford. In the afternoon we caught up with friends for the release on the Upper. Meanwhile, Sam connected with a trusted adult for his first run of the Nantahala Cascades! We were very relieved when he and a friend passed us on the Upper on their way downstream.

Saturday we wrapped up with a small group of friends on the Chattooga. Ford and Jack love the warmer water and swim opportunities. A great way to wrap up the week.



Tuesday, September 10, 2019

 

Pawleys Island

Summer 2019 kicked off with a week at the beach thanks to Grandpa Bunk and Ms. Jane in mid June. A relaxing week of beach lounging, long walks, biking, wave hopping, crabbing, paddle boarding, Scrabble and lots of Women's World Cup.


 

Great Salamander Ball

One of the last big projects of 4th grade was a study of endangered species in NC. The kids worked in groups to learn about a species and then presented in the character of that species.

Jack was a Rusty Patched Bumble Bee

Ford was an Appalachian Elktoe mussel


 

Families Paddle Too

May was capped with a Memorial Day weekend trip to our home away from home at Smoky Mountain Meadows for a paddling weekend. Good turn out for Families Paddle Too. Sam and his buddies got to run the Pigeon and Ocoee while we took Jack and Ford on the Tuck and Nantahala.

Geared up for the Nantahala
Hot dog roast back at the campground




 

Mountain Trail Outdoor School

In May the Evergreen 4th graders had their end of the year trip to MTOS outside Hendersonville. Activities included a forest ecology hike, a pond ecology exploration, canoeing, orienteering and a high ropes course. The first night the kids enjoyed a campfire program and the second night was capped with a square dance.

Jack geared up for the high ropes course

Ford and the box turtle we encountered on the orienteering course


 

Spring Break

Spring Break was the give Sam a taste of ALF year. We met up with our Canadian friends in April instead of March in Lenoir City. And in a nice little last minute change in plans, ended up "adopting" Sam's friend, Marcos, for the week when we met up with him at the Wilson Creek.


Our second run was on Big Laurel.


One of the highlights of the week was finally getting to run the Greenbrier section of the Middle Prong of the Little Pigeon inside the Great Smoky Mountain National Park.


















Day 4 was on the Tellico. The boys ran the Ledges section and then enjoyed repeated runs of Baby Falls




That was followed by one of our favorites - Clear Creek into the Obed River on the Cumberland Plateau.












And we finished with a day on the Pigeon on our way home.

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