Camping at the Lookout Tower

This was our most ambitious family outing to date, and I'll admit I thought Maggie was being a little bull-headed when she insisted that we proceed, weather be damned, because she had taken a day off work and also spent countless hours online trying to capture a coveted reservation at the Clear Lake Lookout Tower. But she was right! Look at all the fun we had...


It was a 3.5 mile ski in, uphill. The girls started out riding in comfort in the chariot/sleigh but then Elsie agreed to give daddy a break and strapped on some cross-country skis for a bit. Theo fell asleep in the chariot at this point.



Lunch break was spent throwing snowballs at daddy.


The harness on the chariot broke, which made the final uphill push harder, and slower, but Maggie sped ahead, dumped her gear, and returned with her empty sled and hauled the girls up the last hill. Phew!


On top of the butte it was pretty great. Here's the outhouse:



And here's the tower!



Theo bravely ascended:


And we looked down on Maggie and Elsie below:


We used this pully system to haul up wood and gear:


Oh how nice it was inside!


(picture removed because maggie felt it was an unflattering angle of her ass)


Except when someone had to go poop and we'd have to climb down all those cold windy stairs. Later we learned to pee in pots:


After dinner we got cozy and read "Romona" by headlamp:


In the morning we awoke to a snowstorm. The girls, undaunted, bundled up their babies and prepared for the journey home:


We fixed the broken harness. Downhill was easier.



The girls even got out and snowshoed. Thanks for lending us these Ida and Miki!



Then more cross country skiing. Theo even did it, and she did well:



Thanks for making us do it, Maggie!