Catch Up Time Again!

So, it's been a busy summer! The patio and walkway from the house to the garage is almost done - just need to add the gutters and fence it off so Blockhead and I can hang out there during the heat of the day. Ok, so we'll be inside where it's even cooler - but Mom will enjoy it! We've added some new pictures so you can see the progress:
http://picasaweb.google.com/Daphne.ItchyDog/HousePatioAddOn?feat=directlink

We've also done some hiking. Mom did a LOT of hiking, but without us - boo! Here's the last hiking trip we all took:
http://picasaweb.google.com/Daphne.ItchyDog/Summer2010Hiking?feat=directlink
It's on the Watchtower Pass trail - since the spring was so wet and cool, the wildflowers were still blooming in July. It was a great day - not too hot, lots of water to drink from the creek and hamburgers after the hike!

Then Mom went backpacking with the Selway-Bitterroot Foundation on an eight-day trail maintenance trip - and she didn't take us! They started from Indian Creek Campground on the Idaho side of the Bitterroot Mountains - the Forest Service packed their big backpacks up the first day on mules, which was good, because the trail was really steep! Unfortunately, Charlie and the mules didn't get to go the whole way, and the group had to pack all of their gear and the trail maintenace gear (2 big crosscut saws, small saws, and pulaskis) for the rest of the trip.

The biggest problem on the trip was finding water - while they had a map with campsites and springs on it, actually finding the springs was sometimes really difficult, and involved some serious bushwacking. Finally, with the lack of water and the afternoon thunderstorms, they decided to make 'a run for the border' to the Montana side, and try to work back a bit on the trail. Day 5 of the trip was a tough one - a six-plus mile hike at 7000-8500 foot elevation - and the thunder and lightning started just before they reached the pass. They literally sprinted (as much as you can with a heavy backpack) down the pass until they reached some healthy stands of trees. Then there was just enough time to put up tents and get something to eat, and the deluge started - it stormed most of the night.

Fortunately, the next day was nicer, although they couldn't go back to the Idaho side to work on the trail due to the thunderstorm threat - but Mom and Rachel, the crew leader, did go back to the top of the pass and work their way down, while the other three crew members, Cassie, Stephen and Ben worked their way down. Fortunately for them, some Backcountry Horsemen had cleared a good bit of the trail already. Mom and Rachel also went down the trail from their camp to find an old log cabin, which had been destroyed by a falling tree. It was pretty neat to see.

So, Mom came back a day early - yeah! She was pretty tired, and said she had muscles in new places from all the sawing, but also said it was a beautiful trip and she had a good time. The pictures are here:
http://picasaweb.google.com/Daphne.ItchyDog/SelwayBitterrootFoundationTrailMaintenanceJuly2010?feat=directlink
The picture locations on the map are extremely approximate! If anyone wants the actual GPS locations of our camps and springs, they're here (in UTM format):
http://spreadsheets.google.com/ccc?key=0Aq5idZX2fIPidGhUbjdlM0hVdWZCSnVYNFZlWnBweEE&hl=en&authkey=CIOhnukC

Dad and Mom have also been up on their first Forest Service fire. They helped on the Victor Fire water tender with the Dominic Point fire, and were really, really bored. Fortunately, the weather was very cooperative, and basically put most of the fire out - so there wasn't much need for water. It was a good experience, but I don't think they'll be volunteering to do any more of it anytime soon!

Well, there's a little summer left, and I hope we get to do some more hiking - when we do, I'll post more pictures. Have a great summer!