The campground is comprised of three separate sections. The first offers several sites dispersed amongst some young trees overlooking a lake with two well-built tent pads per site, the second section is more of a field with grassy campsites, and the third section is atop a small hill with gorgeous views of the surrounding area.

The first section of campsites amongst the trees.

The view from the third section of campsites!

Campsites in all sections have a picnic table and a fire ring. Each section has a pit toilet and a dumpster. A water spigot is only available in the middle section.

One of three pit toilets in the campground.

One downside to the location of the campsites is their distance from the shower house and the lakefront. There is no trail down to either, so, hopping in your car and driving to them is your best option. The good news is that the pit toilets are in pristine condition and the welcoming and charming cleaning crew keeps them in incredible shape!

The cleanest privy we’ve ever seen!

The six cabins are closely nestled together overlooking a lake called, Armour Mine No. 2.

The six available cabins at dusk.

The whole area got it’s start through taconite mining and the towns of Crosby and Ironton wear their history proudly. The lake is manmade and was a mining pit until June 1, 1967 when the Armour No. 2 mine was officially closed. It was “the last underground mine to operate in the state” according to “Cuyuna Country: A Peoples History, Vol. III.” The crystal clear waters of the lakes in the area offer some unique snorkeling opportunities, getting a glimpse of an old forest, now frozen in time under water.

Armour Mine No. 2

The rolling hills of the area are examples, not only of the Cuyuna Range, but also partially created by rock deposit stockpiles from the mining operations.

Armour Mine No. 2 with the cabins in the distance. The campground is on the hill behind the cabins.

The cabins themselves are well-built, insulated, and sparse in their amenities. The air conditioning and heat are much appreciated in this land of extreme temperatures. Inside there are two sets of bunkbeds, one with a full bed on bottom and a twin up top, the other is a set of twin beds. There is a small dining table with 4 chairs, lots of hooks for hanging clothing and towels, two small shelves between the bunks, an enormous charging station, individual reading lights above each bed, a garbage can, and a broom.

The individual reading lamps were a really nice touch!

The exterior of the cabins offers beautiful views of the lake, a concrete patio, a picnic table, and a fire pit. Each cabin has one designated parking spot, with extra spots available on the road running behind the cabins. The shower house and a water spigot are just steps from the cabins. All the cabins, shower house, and pit toilets on the property are keypad protected. You are emailed the codes in advance of your arrival.

Exterior of cabin

The cabins were surprisingly, and gratefully, spacious. Having a 2 year old in a small confining space can be stressful when traveling, but, the openness of the cabins provided ample room for a space to play with toys, a pack and play set up, and several large bins of clothing and camping gear. Despite the amount of “stuff” that comes along with a family traveling with small children we never felt cramped or claustrophobic which was a definite advantage! These cabins are perfectly sized for a family of up to 5, I would say.

The cabins are very nicely sized!

We were staying in cabin number three, being 27 weeks pregnant, made me immensely grateful for the air conditioning! However, there were two things that I really wished were in the cabins, a sink and a small fridge. We were, thankfully, able to borrow an electric cooler, but a small fridge would make life a lot easier, especially for keeping milk cold. A nearby sink is always convenient when changing diapers. However, there is a changing station available in the women’s restroom if you’d rather do it near a sink.

The cabins all face west so sunsets over the lake were wonderful to watch. However, when having a toddler along who goes to bed before the sun goes down in the summer time, it made bedtime a challenge. The front of the cabin, facing the west and the lake, is a veritable wall of windows with thin curtains over some while others didn’t even have that option. This meant that the cabin was particularly bright at sunset and our guy didn’t want to go down when it was clearly still daylight.

Sunset over the lake.

One of the perks of a cabin or a campsite at the camp is that there is no checkin or checkout process since everything is done online. When arriving late or trying to leave in a rush with a crabby toddler this is a definite advantage!

The area is well known for its mountain biking opportunities, coming with a 2 year old toddler in hand, we were anxious to see all the camp and surrounding areas would offer to young families. We weren’t disappointed and we found our days filled with fun and adventure! We have both agreed that we would love to return to this scenic spot in our state.

A short walk from the cabins down a steep trail leads to the lake front and a small, yet swift, creek. Jack thoroughly enjoyed splashing in the water and throwing rocks in it.

Throwing rocks into water, what could be better?

Though, the current was a little strong for him to feel completely comfortable and he wanted an adult close by or a hand to hold.

“Need Help!”

This area has seen an inordinate amount of rain this summer. In July they suffered through a horrific rainfall of over 9 inches in an all too short amount of time. The result is that this newly constructed campground has suffered a minor landslide and some serious erosion issues along the roads. They have worked hard all summer to keep up with all the challenges that mother nature is throwing at them.

While we were there we endured a severe thunderstorm in the little cabin in the wee hours of the night and saw just how sturdily built the cabins are, enduring wind gusts of up to 80 mph and we felt safe. Plus, the rains created a sweet mud puddle next to our cabin which provided hours of entertainment for Jack and his buddy Oliver the following day!

Nice and filthy from a day spent playing in the mud!

The camp is located within the town of Crosby, as evidenced by the water tower that you pass as you drive the winding road down to the cabins.  The location is ideal for people traveling with young children. You are less then a mile from a grocery store and a couple of dining options (including a DQ!).

All day breakfast and amazing hamburgers are to be had at the North Country Cafe in Crosby.

We also spent an afternoon exploring the amazing Crosby Memorial Park, located just .7 miles from True North. The park has an RV campground as well as several tent sites located on the shores of  Serpent Lake. There is also a swimming beach and a ridiculously amazing playground. Getting Jack to leave took a lot of convincing!

This place was epic!

We had some friends come and join us for a morning of playing in the sand, mud, and water while we were there. We also went out for a paddle on the lake in the canoe and did some snorkeling!

Checking out the views from the lake.

One downside of the area, in general, were the bugs! The mosquitos were vicious and I wouldn’t leave home without bug spray when coming here for a visit. Our little Jack swells up with mosquito bites and the Benadryl Afterbite we had brought along didn’t seem to be doing anything to relieve his itchiness. Thankfully, the nearby grocery store had some Hydrocortizone and that seemed to do the trick!

Finding hiking opportunities in the area proved to be trickier then we first thought. Trail maps aren’t readily available and many trails seemed to be marked specifically for mountain bike usage with no indication that hikers are either allowed or not, leaving users confused by the vagueness. The Cuyuna Lakes State Trail is open to hikers, though it is a paved trail, so not ideal for what many hikers are looking for. This trail is still under construction with plans of being 30 miles in length upon completion.

The nearby Cuyuna Country State Recreation Area has amazing recreational opportunities for all seasons. Including trout fishing, canoeing, mountain biking, snorkeling, fat tire biking, snowshoeing, and cross country skiing. There’s even a self-guided tour of the Croft Mine that is available on the weekends. Unfortunately we were there during the week, so we missed out on that. We did manage to find a way to get out hiking while there. There is generally a road that takes vehicles to the top of Miner’s Mountain Overlook, however, due to the influx of rain in the area the road was victim to a landslide and has been closed. We opted to walk the closed road and see the overlook with Jack along.

Jack exploring atop Miner’s Mountain.

Bobby was also able to bike up to it after Jack had gone to bed one night.

Miner’s Mountain at dusk.

This is a unique mountain because it was created by miners depositing the detritus of the mining operation and the lake it overlooks is 258 foot deep Huntington Mine Lake. The views of the area are absolutely beautiful and we wondered what it looked like just 60 years ago when mining operations covered the land.

Overall, we had a fun-filled three days at True North Basecamp and would eagerly return for visits in the future! We still feel that this part of our state has a lot more to explore and many more opportunities for adventure for young families, like ours, to enjoy. We drove through a couple of the other campgrounds in the area and we can say with confidence that True North Basecamp is a cut above the rest. The newer facilities, location, and the quality and privacy of the campground make the slightly higher cost well worth it.

Disclaimer: While True North Basecamp provided us with a free stay, all thoughts and opinions are our own. If we didn’t believe in their camp, we wouldn’t partner with them.

Jack generally naps shortly after lunch so we were hopeful that he would follow his normal routine and nap through most of the 123 mile drive that was ahead of us. We got really lucky and not only did Jack nap throughout the entire trip he also slept through a quick pitstop at the grocery store for a resupply. He awoke as we arrived at Union Bay Campground, one of two campgrounds within Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park located in the Upper Peninsula (UP) of Michigan.

The park itself has two large campgrounds. Union Bay is the modern campground with 100 sites all with electrical service. There is little to no vegetative screening between sites and is much more of an open field. If you are fortunate enough to get one of the 29 sites situated right along the lakeshore you don’t really mind the closeness of neighbors. The campground has a newly built shower house with excellent facilities. Separate and single shower rooms makes the whole campground shower thing so much more appealing. There is also a laundry room with coin operated washer and dryer that was, unfortunately, not yet open while we were there. There was a sketchy swing set with two swings that Jack enjoyed but there was no real playground.

The other major campground within the park is Presque Isle. This is a primitive campground located on the opposite end of the park and actually in another time zone! The state park is so vast it spans two time zones which really explained why the shower buildings cleaning schedule was so specific as to the time zone! This campground has 50 tent sites, some of the them walk-in, and no shower building. Privies are scattered around. While we were there nobody was camped there and we weren’t surprised as it isn’t directly on the water and the sites are spread out in a flat field with no vegetative screening.

The park also offers many backcountry site options as well as cabins and yurts that are available for rent. Seeing all the backcountry options on our map had us dreaming of returning and doing some overnight backpacking trips with the kids next year!

We had seen signs indicating the visitor center as we arrived but had continued straight towards the campground and were happy we had chosen correctly. A small ranger outpost is located at the entrance and we were able to register there. We had to obtain a “Recreation Passport” for the state of MI before gaining entry. At only $9 a day for non-residents the two day pass made more financial sense to us versus the $31 annual permit fee, since we don’t plan on going to any other MI state parks within the next year.

As we had driven up to the small ranger outpost we couldn’t help but notice that the young ranger who was busy planting flowers in a small flower box had pants, long sleeves, a hat, and mosquito netting draped over her head. I scoffed thinking she wouldn’t last long as a ranger if she required so much protection from bugs. Then, I stepped out of the truck and was soon scampering to get back in. The swarm of gnats that seemed to have engulfed the park was beyond anything I have ever experienced. To continue the theme of this trip I was grateful for our camper and grateful for the screen tent my parents had brought along.

As Bobby checked in the ranger informed him that we had secured “the best spot in the campground” using the reservation system beforehand. The campground had only a dozen or so other campers there, mostly other RVs but there were a couple of brave tenters out as well. The dump station and water spigot were directly next to the entrance so filled up our tanks before making our way to the campsites.

Happy to play in the truck as we waited for our water tank to fill!

Our campsites really couldn’t have been any closer to the lake. Our door opened directly onto the beautiful scene of Lake Superior stretching before us majestically.

Our site for the next two nights!

The day was chilly and there was a slight breeze coming off of the lake. Thankfully, down near the shores of the lake the gnats weren’t swarming and it was nice to find a small reprieve from them. I found myself grateful that they are attracted to the tallest spot which means they generally left Jack alone. Occasionally one would get near his ears or eyes and he would be displeased but more often than not he played and frolicked totally unconcerned by the quiet buzz.

During the drive to the park we had switched timezones and we found ourselves in the Eastern Time Zone, one hour ahead of Central Time. We opted to not switch Jack’s schedule and remain on Central time. Still, dinner time was rapidly approaching and before long we were all snug in our beds as the wind howled outside and the waves crashed against the rocks and lulled us to sleep.

The following day we were faced with an entire day to spend exploring this enormous state park. At just under 60,000 acres it is the largest state park in the state of Michigan and felt much more like a National Park than a state park.

We all explored Lake of the Clouds together before dinner that night and we weren’t disappointed by the incredible views that were beyond easy to access at only a 300 foot walk from the parking lot! There were two ways to access the pair of overlooks, the higher was accessed using a steeper paved trail while the lower lookout was accessed using an ADA boardwalk. We went up high first and checked out the big view.

So amazing!

We then went to the lower section and checked out the boardwalk back down.

Jack loves exploring with his Grandpa Bud!

If you are in the park this really is worth the stop and a quick peak! There really is no excuse for not checking it out!

During our visit we stopped in at the visitor center and weren’t disappointed with lots of helpful interpretive information. A movie was shown in the small theater and taxedermized animals were on display. The black bear made Jack shriek and run to me for protection. There was a large and helpful 3D topographic map table of the park that was really interesting to study. A ranger was on hand to answer questions and it had bathroom facilities. There was also a small gift shop that was possibly the most crammed gift shop I had ever been in.

Also within the park, and the spot to buy firewood should you choose to have a fire at night, is the Porcupine Mountain Outpost shop.

Jack didn’t disappoint with this photo opportunity!

Seeing as they sold ice cream and we wanted to purchase some firewood we had to stop in and check it out! It was a really fun shop not nearly as claustrophobic as the small one at the park headquarters. They offer several soft serve options including cones, bowls, and mixed ice cream treats! Bobby and I each got our favorite mixers (Butterfinger and M&M respectively) and we headed outside to endure the gnats and enjoy our ice cream. We had a great time sitting in the giant chair they have set out eating our ice cream and giggling with Jack who was pleased as punch by the fun toy we had gotten him while at the shop. They were selling magnetic rocks and he was beaming with excitement as he played with them.

Happy family ice cream selfie!

We ended our stay at this incredible park with a fire on the lakeshore and some campfire treats! Jack was grumpy but the ice cream cone filled with marshmallows, strawberries, bananas, and chocolate chips cheered him up in no time!

Yum!

I swear we really do eat other, and more nutritious things, while out camping but the fun stuff is what we all remember and crave!

This park truly is gorgeous and definitely worth the visit! We know that this is sure to become a family favorite throughout the years. We can’t wait to come back and explore more of the trails, the backcountry sites, and all that this beautifully protected park has to offer to users.

A beautiful sandy beach!

We had to pay the steep non-resident camping fees ($30 plus a $9.95 reservation fee) for our two night stay. We could’ve saved money by not booking online, but we were worried the campground would fill and we’d spend a bunch of money on a ferry ride to the island and have nowhere to stay. That worry was unfounded as the campground was almost completely empty. We also had to purchase a non-resident annual park permit ($38). The two day permit would’ve been equivalent to about half of an annual pass so we opted to bite the bullet and get the annual pass. Wisconsin State Park permits are sadly only good through the calendar year, unlike Minnesota where the permit expires the same month you purchased it the following year.

We filled our water tank in our Lance travel trailer, though finding a tap took some doing. The one by the shower house worked great, and then we backed into our sites. We had pushed the schedule of the day and it was almost an hour past lunchtime by the time I had full access to our little kitchen in the camper. To say I was hangry would be an understatement. I was beyond hangry and being 17 weeks pregnant made my need for food all the more dire. I whipped up some sandwiches quickly and we supped out on the picnic table under the protection of our camper’s awning. It was a hot day with highs in the mid 70s and the sun was intense.

I felt rejuvenated after lunch and we decided to stretch our legs and explore some of the trails at the park. The “Lagoon Ridge Trail” that was labeled on our little campground map sounded appealing and we decided to give it a go. Who doesn’t love a good ridge trail? About a mile in we got some very small peek-a-boo views of the Lagoon but still couldn’t see it very well. We continued on, hoping the forest, that suffered massive damage during a 1991 storm that had winds exceeding 100 mph, would open up a bit and give us some views.

This was the “view”

At 2 miles in we found ourselves in a swamp with a trail through tall grass. Bobby had already found 5 ticks on himself and, based upon the crude map we had, we didn’t have high hopes that the trail would get any better. Dejected we turned around and walked the, rather boring, 2 miles back to the campground. We wished we had simply turned around after that first, sort-of, viewpoint we had at the one mile spot. Thankfully the trail was not difficult but it was rugged. Signs at the outset alert users to the fact that the trail isn’t well maintained.

Trailhead

There were many downed trees and the trail itself was crudely created, almost more of a deer path then an actual trail.

When we got back to the campground my parents weren’t at their camper so we retired to our own and rewarded our somewhat disappointing hike with popsicles. A definite perk to camping with a little camper is a freezer for tasty treats on hot days! My parents arrived back shortly after we did. They were aglow with excitement having gone and explored the beach. We needed a win after our disappointing hike so we made our way to the nearby beach and were stunned to find a beautiful 1.5 mile long beach of fine sand steps from the campground. We ate an afternoon snack on the sand and had to do a lot of convincing to have Jack trust us that walking on the sand in bare feet was an acceptable activity.

Snacks on the beach.

At first he didn’t want to move and kept screaming for his sandals. Eventually, watching us, and realizing that his feet weren’t in any danger, he warmed up to the idea. He became braver and braver the longer we were at the beach and even dared to walk to the waters edge and got his feet a little wet.

Our guy gets braver and braver.

The breeze off of the lake was cold and I wished I had brought a sweater. I was exhausted and sore after a full day of travel and hiking so I left Bobby and Jack on the beach and I went back to our camper for a rest. Soon enough my boys were back with me but Jack wanted snuggles and stories before dinner. Apparently Jack had a harsh lesson while at the beach about what happens when you throw sand up into the air into the wind and it comes back and blows into your face.

We cooked BBQ Chicken and Pepperoni and Pineapple pizzas in our dutch ovens for dinner and weren’t disappointed. We burned one pretty badly on the bottom but we had attempted a deep dish option so the crust on top was delicious and we just avoided the bottom… 

Having a baby along camping means you go to bed freakishly early (7:00 for Jack). Jack tosses and turns for 20-40 minutes before finally falling asleep and his flailings require an adult in the bed to ensure he doesn’t throw himself off of the, somewhat, high bed in our camper. He co-sleeps with us when camping, now that he is older and we’re less worried about squishing him in the night, though admittedly, I still worry. I took the bedtime shift while Bobby ventured off to the showers. 

The following day we were expecting rain all day and were pleasantly surprised by the clear skies we were greeted with. We opted to head into the small town center on the island and do some exploring.

After returning from our town explorations and a solid nap in the camper we set off on another hiking trail. This time we were hoping to get better views and a better trail by selecting the, “Bayview Trail”. At 1.3 miles we knew we could make it an out and back or hook up with several other trails and make it a slightly longer loop. We figured we’d see how the day went and how we were all feeling. We packed our rain gear and set off hoping for the best in terms of trail and weather conditions.

The trail was beyond beautiful! It was an easy, well maintained trail that all of us, including my mother, could easily hike and enjoy.

A beautiful and easy stroll through the woods and along the lakeshore.

Views of the lake abounded along the trail and the we lost track of the number of outlooks and photo ops.

One of many viewpoints.

The trail culminates with amazing views at the Point Picnic Area and we managed to get some cell service while there. My mother hadn’t brought along rain gear and the skies were definitely threatening, so we called my dad and he drove to the area to pick her up.

Beautiful spot on the lake.

As they departed the rain began so we stopped to quickly throw on our raingear. Once again, we were beyond grateful for Jack’s Oakiwear Waterproof Trail Rainsuit! I seriously wish they made these waterproof wonders in adult sizes! He is always the driest one of us all when using it, and it ended up getting a lot of use during the trip!

A must-have rainsuit for all your puddle jumping needs!

Jack had hiked a good portion of the trail himself initially but we wanted to make tracks quickly as it was raining so we insisted he stay in the backpack. Being an independent explorer who likes to do things, “Myself!” as he insists keeping him confined isn’t always the easiest. We sang songs as we went to keep him cheerful and happy in his Osprey Poco Backpack.

My mother had dinner going by the time we got back, one of the many advantages to traveling with Grandma and Grandpa is a shared cooking duty! We generally traded off cooking dinner every other night. We retired to our camper to relax after our quick hike, I definitely needed to lie down after hoofing it that quickly, and cuddled up with stories and games while we waited for dinner.

Bobby and Jack keep themselves entertained while the rain continued to pour.

We were enjoying a hot meal of burritos when the real downpour started! Thankfully, my parents camp with a screen tent that came in handy not only when dealing with inclement weather but also to deal with the swarms of bugs that awaited us at several of our camping locations.

Bobby, Jack, and Grandpa enjoying the adventure of eating in the rain!

Sadly, as bedtime (and a serious need for a diaper change) came upon us the deluge hadn’t let up. Bobby ran a shrieking Jack to the camper while I walked carefully, not wanting to trip and not minding getting soaked by the spring storm.

We had Jack cuddled up in bed, the sound of the pouring rain on the shell of the camper was enough to lull us all to sleep all to quickly. At midnight we were awoken by a terrifying storm. It was so close and loud that I was anxious, not only wondering mildly about our safety, but also the distinct possibility that Jack would be up and screaming any minute from the din around us. But man, when that kid sleeps, he sleeps! He never so much as turned in his sleep as we withstood the strong storm. Latigo did surprisingly well considering he used to hate loud noises, especially thunder. I checked on him and he continued to lay on his bed as I stroked him and assured him everything was okay. I tried looking out of the camper windows to see if we should be concerned about wind and could see absolutely nothing. We were completely enveloped by total darkness.

Morning came and we had indeed survived the nights storm, as had my parents. We were beyond grateful to have been in our campers during such a storm. It was time to pack up and say goodbye to the beautiful park and the beautiful Madeline Island, but we had to get in some solid puddle jumping before heading out.

Family puddle jumping time!

We were lucky enough to have everything packed and had just begun to drive when a second wave of intense rain hit us. We couldn’t believe our luck! As we arrived at the ferry terminal, a full hour before it was scheduled to depart we were grateful to see that the water was calm despite the storms and the rain decreased to a drizzle. We didn’t want to get Jack out of the truck and into his raingear so we turned on a movie for him and found ourselves grateful for Walt Disney, iPads, and iPad holders that can make unpleasant or difficult situations so much easier on parents!

Happy as a clam watching his favorite movie, Frozen.

As we continued to wait the skies continued to threaten but also began to brighten.

While on the ferry the skies began to clear and the boat ride over was very enjoyable.

Jack and Daddy enjoying the ferry ride! This kid learned to say, “Boat” while on this trip!

A caution to those who might use the ferry, I had assumed there would be a bathroom on board but was sadly mistaken… So, again grateful for having a camper along that I could quickly and quietly use the facilities therein (an odd experience to go in a trailer on a boat…), but be warned of the lack! The ride is short, only 20 minutes, but when there’s a baby playing soccer with your bladder you gotta go when you gotta go.

By the time we got to Bayfield it had turned into a gorgeous day and we toured around before making the 123 mile journey to our next stop, Union Bay Campground in Michigan’s Porcupine Mountains.

We had chosen site number 18 which was incredibly picturesque, right along the lake, and the privy was just across the road.

Our campsite for the weekend.

Because we have a 9-month old baby in tow, our pace is a lot slower then it used to be. We arrived at the campground fairly late after a leisurely drive up with many stops along the way to help quell the fussiness of our littlest camper. Bobby and Jack went back to the outfitters store as I prepared dinner to pick up a few of the essentials that we had forgotten. Primarily, hats and bug spray. There were flying ants and biting black flies swarming around our heads and we were given our first taste of what a Minnesota summer brings with it… In Washington we had only a few occasions of bad bugs and we realized just how much we didn’t miss them! We were nervous about using bug spray with our drooly, teething, kissing baby along so opted for an all-natural brand and only sprayed our hats. Thankfully, the bugs seemed to ignore Jack and were most likely attracted to the smell of our shampoo. We had a delicious dinner of brats, hotdogs, watermelon, and baked beans.

Happy Campers after Dinner!

The weather couldn’t have been better for this trip! With sunny skies and highs in the 70s-80s we were enjoying an unusual heatwave in the north country! When we went to put Jack down for the night at 7:00 it was still in the 70s and we were totally confused as to how to dress him for the night. Usually the lows can dip pretty low up north at night but we didn’t want him to be overheating until then. We opted to remove two layers that we usually dress him in for camping and didn’t put his hat on. I had all the extra layers and hat neatly laid out and at hand in case I needed to add some during the night. Our boy was beat after a long day of traveling and went to sleep in his pack and play easily. I went outside and enjoyed what was left of the sunshine and read.

After gobbling up his delicious dinner of Merrick Backcountry kibble, Bobby and Latigo went on a little adventure down to Sawbill Lake to catch the sunset.

Latigo on the shores of Sawbill Lake at sunset.

Latigo sure does love his new Backcountry food!

The night remained shockingly warm and extra layers for Jack were never needed. Latigo laid at our feet never needing to cuddle up and attempt to push us right off of our sleeping pads! We all awoke early thanks to a car alarm going off at 5:00. Latigo was anxious to get out of the tent and into the fresh air. Jack was excited to explore and thwarted our attempts to cuddle and soothe him back to sleep. We emerged from the tent and prepared a breakfast of fresh blueberry pancakes and bacon. We washed up our breakfast mess, packed some day packs, and headed off for a hike. Our goal was to reach the tallest point in Minnesota, Eagle Mountain. It only stands at 2,301 feet but in Minnesota terms, that’s a tall mountain!

The trailhead was about 18 miles from our campground along dirt roads. Jack snoozed as we drove and we arrived at the trailhead fairly early and most of the large parking area was empty. There was a privy, signage, and a wilderness permit station. This hike takes you into the BWCAW so a self-service permit is required.

Our first time in the BWCAW!

The trail was a bit rocky with a few muddy patches and bogs that were easily crossed with the aid of well placed boulders, logs, and boardwalks. There were signs at the trailhead warning of the muddy conditions and informing hikers that they would most likely get their feet wet. That seemed pretty extreme for the actual conditions and we didn’t get our feet wet at all. There were only a couple of blowdowns along the trail that were very easily passed. The trail was definitely a bit more technical then the trails that are built and maintained in Washington. Lots of rocks and roots to navigate over and around but, all in all, it was a nice trail. The trail undulated a lot more then we were expecting for a summit hike. There was a fair bit of elevation loss as you hiked in for the first 2 miles or so.

At a little before 3 miles you reach Whale Lake. A very scenic spot that has two campsites for overnight use. We found a great spot right on the shore for a break and a snack.

Taking a break at Whale Lake

Whale Lake

The trail winds around and along the shores of the lake. You will reach a trail junction, go left to continue along the trail and up the mountain. This is hardest section of the trail with 600 feet of elevation gain. It isn’t too hard and doesn’t last long at all.  As you make your way to the top there is a great viewpoint that many confuse for the summit. It isn’t. You must continue on to find the plaque that marks the actual high point. There is a small footpath leading off of the main trail, look for a cairn off to the right, that leads you to the plaque. It’s easily missed. Thankfully, another hiker pointed us in the right direction and as more hikers arrived we did the same for them. The actual highpoint is rather anti-climactic. There aren’t any views around you.

We made it to the top!

We followed the footpath back to the main trail and had lunch while taking in the spectacular views around us!

Not the actual summit, but it is the scenic viewpoint!

The trail to the summit is about 3.5 miles. Head back the way you came to return to the trailhead. Overall, this hike is pretty mundane without a lot of rewards for the majority of the hike. The lake is gorgeous and the view at the top is breathtaking. That said, we probably wouldn’t go back. It was great to do it once and can now say we’ve been to the highest point in Minnesota!

Rain and dodgy weather began to roll in that evening so we packed up and headed home early so we wouldn’t be faced with packing up the site in the rain with a busy, crawling baby. Once again Jack showed us just how flexible he can be and was more then happy to be outside for two straight days. He slept well at night, ate well during the day, and recovered quickly and settled back into his normal routine at home without incident.

Latigo is an old hat when it comes to our weekend adventures and loves every aspect of a camping trip. Camping and hiking all weekend is exhausting for dogs too. With the help of Latigo’s new favorite food, Merrick Backcountry, he had all the protein and nutrients he needed to explore, swim, play, and camp all weekend long! Check out our full review of Merrick Backcountry!

While this post is sponsored by Merrick, all thoughts and opinions are our own. If we didn’t believe in the product or the company we wouldn’t partner with them.

View more photos of our hike to Eagle Mountain on Facebook

View more photos at Sawbill Campground on Facebook

We headed up to Jay Cooke State Park, on Friday evening after Bobby had finished with work. Traffic was really rough as we attempted to make our way out of the cities and the drive seemed to go on forever. Jack was getting very fussy and we needed to stop for some dinner. After a stop for some chow we continued on and arrived at the park a bit before 8:00 p.m. We had made a reservation a few days before using the wonderful guidebook The Best in Tent Camping: Minnesota by Tom Watson. This is an excellent source to utilize when looking for a campsite in a new and unfamiliar campground. He gives a rundown of sites and which is his favorite and for what reasons. We look for seclusion and privacy when picking our sites. We want to be secluded so that if Jack has a rough night and screams a lot we won’t bother nearby campers as much and we seek solitude and quiet when enjoying our recreational opportunities. His book did not lead us astray and we had a wonderful secluded site (site #11) that abutted a beautiful rock outcropping.

Jack and Latigo waiting patiently while we set up camp

Jack had been asleep in the car (as his bedtime is 7:00) but was soon up and wide awake! He was so excited to be outside and to watch as his Dad set up the big tent for us!

So excited to be camping!

Jack hadn’t been camping since he was six weeks old when we went to Johnny Creek Campground in WA! We were very excited/nervous to see how he would do! I will say that we had a lot of fear and anxiety. Jack generally sleeps 11-12 hours straight every night. When you have a good sleeper it is pretty terrifying to alter your routine in any way for fear that it will completely disrupt the blissfully quiet nights you are so used to. But we were determined to not let that scare us away from camping and being outside. We feel that flexibility in parenting is one of the most important things. Schedules are amazing and Jack definitely thrives off of them. However, I can only imagine all that we would miss out on if we were never willing to bend the rules or alter our schedule.

After Bobby had gotten the tent set up Jack and I entered and he had a blast roaming around this wonderfully baby friendly environment exploring every nook and cranny of the tent while I set up the innards.

Camping is FUN!

It was difficult to settle Jack down after so much excitement and he was just as excited to be in his pack n play (for more info on how our tent is set up check out our post about Jack’s First Camping Trip) and it took him a long time to fall asleep. He eventually did and our little camper slept through the night. He got up much earlier then normal (around 5:30 a.m.) but he was pretty chilly so I brought him into my sleeping bag to warm up hoping he might doze. I was wrong! He was so excited to be camping and to see all of us that he was wide awake and ready to go! We had plans to hike a section of the Superior Hiking Trail that day so the early rising wasn’t actually that bad. As a family we went to the bathroom building. It’s been a long time since we camped somewhere, not only with running water, dumpsters, recycling, but with a heated bathroom building that had flush toilets AND showers! We felt like we were staying at the Ritz! I loved that the bathroom building of Jay Cooke was unchanged. It was just as I remember it from when I was a child. It warms my heart to know that my son will grow up sleeping in the same campsites that I spent so many happy childhood vacations at! Bobby took Jack to the mens room to warm up for a bit while I got ready for the day. We returned to the campsite and had some breakfast before taking down camp.

mmmm oatmeal

We were on the road and headed further north by 9:00 a.m. We spent the day hiking and that evening we drove just a bit further north to one of my all time favorite parks, Tettegouche! I had called earlier in the week to learn if water was turned on, bathrooms were open, and how full the campground was and had been helped by a charming ranger who assisted me with all of my questions and helped me pick a great campsite. It was in the Cart-In campground that is a bit more rural, only has pit toilets, and the walks in from the parking area range from 1/4 of a mile to 3/4 of a mile. When making the reservation this sounded like the perfect thing for us! I hadn’t taken into account our exhaustion levels after a full day hiking or the fact that the campsites in the Cart-In campground are just off of Lake Superior making them fairly chilly if there’s wind. And there was… We walked back to the brand new visitor center, that also serves as a 24 hour rest area that just opened last year, and asked if there were any other sites available more inland. She told me that there was one tent campsite left in the campground that is situated a bit more inland just 2 miles down the road. We were beyond relieved. Not only were we very concerned that Jack wouldn’t be warm enough during the night but we were also exhausted and not looking forward to carting all of our gear in and out while doing our best to keep Jack and Latigo (our Golden Retriever) happy…

The site we ended up with was #3 and it was perfect! There were several campsites nearby but they were all electric sites and were vacant for the night. We had lots of privacy and were very close to the bathroom building. Generally, I like to avoid being too close to the bathrooms but this site was perfect in that it was close but not so close that you could hear doors opening and closing all night. The vegetative screening between the sites in this campground was pretty dense (and keep in mind we were there in very early spring before the trees had budded, let alone leafed out) and all of the sites felt secluded. There are a few hike-in sites in this campground as well.

We set up our tent (I tried and failed and Bobby had to take over….) and enjoyed some tent/play time with Jack before dinner.

The weather couldn’t have been more perfect with sunny skies and highs in the 60s and a slight breeze. We were very happy with our decision to switch campsites! I put Jack down a little early because he was so tired after his big and busy day being outside and I too fell asleep before 9:00 after a hot shower. To keep Jack warm at night he is in many layers including a long sleeved onesie, fleece jammies, a fleece Halo SleepSack, a Merino Kids Baby Sleep Bag, and a hat.  He stayed plenty warm both nights. His hands did get a little chilly in the mornings but for the most part he sleeps on his tummy with his hands underneath him. We didn’t put on mittens because Jack is a thumb sucker and we didn’t want to take that away from him. I checked on him very regularly throughout the night to make sure he was warm enough and he always was.

Bobby took the 1/2 mile trail to the nearby High Falls that night while Jack and I slept and had some fun taking great shots of one of Minnesota’s tallest waterfalls!

The view from above High Falls

High Falls

Jack, once again, did remarkably well in the night, waking once but going back to sleep quickly after some soothing. He did rise early again (around 5:00) but I was awake and ready to get moving. We packed up quickly, as it was lightly raining, and hit the road. Jack slept all the way to Duluth where we stopped for some breakfast at the charming and delicious Amazing Grace Cafe right in Canal Park and walked around a bit showing Jack the famous lift bridge and the light house! Again, the weather was amazing with clear, sunny skies and temps in the 70s!

Overall this was an amazing weekend! We couldn’t be more proud of how well our little nine-month-old camper did! Camping with a baby is definitely more challenging but also a lot more fun! Things that we found to be incredibly helpful to have along were our Osprey Poco Carrier. Jack loves being in there while we hike and it also served as his highchair while we were in camp! The kickstand, sunshade, and storage pouch make this the ideal baby backpack! We also can’t say enough about our amazing REI Kingdom 4 tent! It’s size and two separate rooms make it the perfect tent for a family! Jack doesn’t sleep well if he can see us so having the room divider is huge! We also used sunscreen on our little camper/hiker for the first time this weekend and found we were extremely happy with the Honest Company Sunscreen we picked up in bulk at Costco before our trip!

View more photos from this weekend on Facebook

We were both pretty concerned about Jack staying warm enough in the night, as he still can’t regulate his own body temperature. We ended up bringing several layering options to keep him warm while ensuring he could sleep safely. Bobby had bought him a Patagonia Snowsuit in case things got really cold, one of Bobby’s coworkers had just given us a Merino Kids winter sleep sack, and my sister had given us a Halo Micro Fleece sleep sack. I also brought along three pairs of fleece pajamas, three long sleeved onsies, two fleece hooded sweatshirts, multiple pairs of socks (for both feet and hands), and several hats. Seems like a lot for a single overnight but you never know how many blowouts you’ll be faced with. In general when we take Jack out for hikes we always have him in fleece pajamas with an undershirt on and that seems to keep him the perfect temperature on warm days so we hoped the additional layers we packed would be enough to keep our little bean warm for a whole weekend spent outside.

Saturday morning came and I had managed to pack most everything throughout the day on Friday while Jack napped. Now it was time to load the car. Bobby rushed around like a mad man trying to get everything crammed into the car. I fed jack and got him dressed for our weekend of adventure before helping Bobby. We made our first mistake of the weekend that morning. We thought it would be best to get out the door as fast as possible and that if we didn’t eat breakfast and just got breakfast on the road it would help save time. This meant that we were both stressed, sleepy, and hungry. Not a good combination. Parents remember to take care of your own personal needs because when one person is unhappy the whole family is. We were snapping at one another about the smallest things and we knew that food for everybody should be a priority from then on.

We left the house at a reasonable time, but had to go back for a forgotten item. We were officially on the road at 8:30 a.m. Jack, if following a feeding schedule of every 2 hours which he sometimes follows to the minute or sometimes goes longer or shorter, was due to eat in 30 minutes. We used to be really obsessive about planning outings around feeding times. Now, we are both much more relaxed about it and don’t even bother worrying about it. We’ve taken on the mindset that he’s going to need to eat when he’s going to need to eat and I can feed him pretty much anywhere so why worry about it! Jack ended up taking an epic morning nap, as he is sometimes want to do and we made it halfway to our end destination (the camping area we were headed to was about a 2.5 hour drive)! We needed to stop at a grocery store for a few last minute supplies so I fed Jack in the car in the parking lot of a Safeway and Bobby ran in to get the last few items we were lacking. We were soon back on the road and enjoying our long road trip while listening to our new favorite children’s music sung by the outdoorsy duo, The Okee Dokee Brothers! Seriously for all you parents out there check out this wonderful duos music! Their two most recent albums, “Can You Canoe” and “Through the Woods” are fun for both kids and adults and have great outdoor adventure themes!

We arrived in Leavenworth, WA just in time for lunch and all three of us were ready to eat. We found food at a Bratwurst stand and sat in the shade while munching. Jack was alert and happy throughout our visit to Leavenworth and working hard on supporting his own head!

So content on our visit to Leavenworth!

We didn’t linger long before heading out of town and down the nearby Icicle Canyon in search of a campsite for the night. We chose this particular area to camp in because of the plethora of hotels that can be found in the town of Leavenworth. We had both agreed that if we couldn’t keep Jack warm or if things just weren’t working we would wave the white flag and head for a hotel.

The first of four campgrounds along the Icicle Canyon is Eight Mile Campground, as soon as we entered we began to get nervous that we wouldn’t be able to find a site for the night when we saw a sign decked out in white balloons that read WEDDING!!! Sure enough Eight Mile was full. We continued along the canyon road and stopped at Bridge Creek Campground. Again, dread set in as more balloons and signs labeled the way to the reception for the wedding at Bridge Creek’s group site. We continued further down the canyon road until we came to lower Johnny Creek Campground.

We had stayed at lower Johnny Creek once before when I was 30 weeks pregnant. We found the perfect spot in the campground for our needs, it was large enough to fit our giant tent, close to a pit toilet, close to the creek and it was off by itself. The only downside was that it was fairly close to the road but that didn’t dampen our spirits. We were hopeful that the distance between our campsite and everybody else, coupled with the noise from the creek and road would drown out any of Jack’s screams and therefore not disturb or upset any of our fellow campers. We had planned on introducing ourselves to our neighbors had the sites been close together and just warn them of our new camper as a courtesy. We did read in another parenting blog that some people bring along earplugs to offer to their neighbors as a peace offering but we didn’t go that far.

Bobby set up the tent while I fed Jack.

Our home for the night!

Once Jack finished eating Bobby took him and I set up the bedrooms inside the tent.

Hanging out in the campsite while I got the tent set up

We were very happy with the layout.

Jack was clearly tired after having been awake for a couple of hours. We swaddled him in a sleep sack and put him down for a nap in his new Pack ‘n Play.

Afternoon nap in the tent!

We too were exhausted and both fell fast asleep. We decided that Jack must be growing because he took another epically long nap! Bobby and I woke up an hour later feeling very refreshed while Jack slept on for a bit longer before waking up hungry. Bobby went out and built a fire while I fed Jack in the tent and when we emerged we had a roaring hot fire to warm Jack up!

We found that cooking a meal in a campsite with an infant is tricky. Usually Bobby and I share the responsibilities of cooking in camp but we were down one cook as Jack was a bit fussy and wanted to be held. Bobby took the task of soothing our son as I grilled up burgers, fried some onions, and set the table with all the other fixings we had brought along.

As is my new habit I scarfed down my food as quickly as possible. Jack was calm enough to be okay sitting in the carseat while we ate as long as I rocked him. But, he was due to eat and his fussiness was increasing. We retired to the tent, leaving Bobby with the dishes, and Jack had a hearty dinner. Nursing in the tent was incredibly comfy! We were protected from the sun and the bugs rather nicely! Nursing in my camping chair is shockingly comfortable made even easier with the assistance of my trusty Boppy. The sun was setting and Bobby set up one of our headlamps in a high pocket of the tent to act as a small lantern inside.

Jack generally cluster feeds at night starting at 6:00 and going anywhere from 9:00-11:00. But he was not following his usual pattern. Instead he was fast asleep by 8:30 and we couldn’t wake him up enough to have him eat. We were worried how difficult the coming night would be… Bobby and I went to bed as well and were both soon sound asleep. Jack slept for 6 hours straight! We couldn’t believe it! He got up and ate at 2:00 a.m. and was once again fast asleep.

Feedings in the middle of the night gave Bobby a chance to practice his nighttime photography

He got up 2 hours later, ate and was asleep in no time flat and slept until 6:15 a.m. In our opinions the night couldn’t have gone better! We had ended up dressing him in a long sleeved onsie, socks, fleece pajamas, the Halo Micro Fleece sleep sack, the Merino Kids winter sleep sack, and 2 hats. While his little cheeks and nose were chilly his body, hands, and feet were nice and toasty.

Jack all bundled up in the night

I was surprised at how warm he stayed, I had gotten a bit cold in the night and had been waiting for him to wake up screaming and envisioning him and me moving to the car to sleep. I continually checked on him and he was always warm and happily sleeping.

Bobby got up and built a fire for us to warm up by while he cooked a delicious breakfast of blueberry pancakes and bacon while I tended to Jack.

Happily hanging out with Mommy by the fire!

He went down for his first nap of the day (generally an hour after his first feeding) without a problem and while Bobby ate I began cleaning up camp. Usually we eat an on the go breakfast and are out of campsites by 7:00 a.m. at the latest, eager to get to the site of our days adventures! This camping trip was very different! We left the campsite around 9:00 a.m. after our leisurely  breakfast and a couple of feedings for Jack. Camping with an infant reminded me a lot of camping with my family as a child and I was rather happy with the change of pace!

He LOVES camping!

Overall we couldn’t have been more pleased with how well this first camping trip went! We were both pretty intimidated by the idea of camping with an infant but we were determined to do it! The weather, the campsite, and Jack’s mood all worked out shockingly well. The drive home was a period of reflection for us as our beautiful baby boy snoozed away and we found ourselves with big grins on our faces as we discussed how unbelievably well the whole weekend went. We know they won’t all go so well and are just trying to enjoy the moment of how well things have gone thus far.

For more photos check out our Facebook Page!

We did go for a beautiful hike on Sunday. Check it out – Bean Creek Bain

We left early Saturday morning with Latigo and Beth, a Portuguese Water Dog we were dog sitting for the weekend, and headed for Leavenworth, one of our favorite mountain communities in the Cascades. It takes a little over two hours to get to Leavenworth from Seattle and we arrived just after 10:00 a.m. The town of Leavenworth is known for it’s Bavarian theme, Christmas lighting festival, and spectacular Oktoberfest celebrations. Throughout the year there is almost always some sort of activity or event on the weekends to continually draw in the tourists. As we arrived in town we saw that this weekend was no different, the main street of the town was blocked off to accommodate the May Day celebration that was going to occur. There was a choir from a college in Puyallup performing at the town center under the large gazebo, a parade that was to occur at noon, a may pole dance was scheduled after the parade, and there were several bounce houses and a rock climbing wall for the kiddos to enjoy between the main activities.

We had arrived pretty early so we were able to find a parking spot on the street not too far away from the town center. There is ample parking in Leavenworth but if you arrive too late you’ll find yourself paying for the luxury of a spot because the street parking fills up quickly. After the long car ride I needed to stretch out and do some walking. We walked up and down main street a couple of times with our lovely canine companions in tow. The sun shone down and warmed us quickly. I stopped in one of the most popular shops in Leavenworth, Kris Kringle, a two story store filled with Christmas decor. I was hoping to get our baby boy a stocking for his first Christmas. I easily found the perfect one, made my purchase, and headed back out into the sunshine to join Bobby and the dogs.

It was past 11:00 by this point and we stopped to grab some lunch at our favorite purveyor of Bratwursts. The seating is all outdoors, and the little stand is open year round. The dogs gratefully took up shaded spots under the table while we munched on the delicious brats, soft pretzel, and freshly squeezed lemonade. As we left the little establishment people were already eagerly lining the main street in anticipation of the parade that would begin shortly. We found a nice spot under a large tree and I settled in with the dogs while Bobby went to get us some delicious ice cream for dessert!

The parade began at noon and it was absolutely wonderful!

The Alpenhorn players started off the parade with a sweet song!

Beth enjoyed the parade!

The Wilkommen Wagon!

We passed all these cars on our way to the town!

The dogs and I stayed back a ways and enjoyed the parade immensely!

Two random knights…

Then there’s this guy! There is a nutcracker museum in town.

Lots of goats!

Best part of the parade, the sheep dog worked tirelessly to keep the lambs in their spots!

Giant bells that sounded really pretty

Lets Dance!

One float!

The parade ended with probably 200 Bernese Mountain Dogs!

After the parade I was in desperate need of a nap. We headed out of town and down to Icicle Canyon, a rock climbing and camping mecca situated just outside of town. We found a perfect spot at Lower Johnny Creek Campground and began the process of setting up camp.

Johnny Creek Campground is beautifully situated on the Icicle Creek, it has a lower and upper campground that offer 56 single sites and 9 double sites. The fee for the lower campground for a single site was $19. There was running water, a dumpster, and pit toilets that were well cared for by the friendly campground hosts, who live at the upper campground. The sites had fairly good screening and were well maintained. The site we chose had obviously been raked clean that day and the fire pit wasn’t too full of ashes. The picnic table was immovable but clean and sturdy.

I soon learned that I was pretty much useless in helping Bobby. I laid like a slug on top of the picnic table in the site while Bobby set about getting the camp prepared. I tried to get up at one point to help him and he scolded me and told me to lay back down. I have suffered from pretty bad back pain throughout the pregnancy and laying flat on my back is one of the few things that makes me feel better.

Bobby soon had the tent up, the ridiculously large queen sized air mattress inflated and the mountain of pillows I had brought along all set up for me to take an afternoon nap in. We tried at first, leaving the rainfly off the tent in order to enjoy the sunshine, but the sun was really hot and we were boiling. Bobby put the rainfly on and I was soon fast asleep.

After a wonderfully refreshing nap we went exploring down by Icicle Creek, our campsite was situated just above it. We stopped for some baby bump shots!

30 week baby bump!

Bobby also found a sweet downed log that he couldn’t resist climbing on!

Our evening was spent reading in the campsite and playing with the dogs.

Bobby set up our hammock! I could get in it ok, getting out was a different story…

As the sun set the temperature dropped dramatically and we were soon donning all the layers we had brought along with us. Sadly, with all the base layers I had on, my puffy jacket wouldn’t zip up over my belly! Bobby valiantly offered me his and he said he would take mine. Who knew mine would look so feminine on him!

Strangely enough he decided to forgo the puffy and use his shell instead…

A jacket that would zip up!

After a dinner of noodle salad, baked beans, watermelon, and chocolate chip cookies, Bobby took the dogs for an evening constitutional while I laid down in the tent. He came back with harrowing tales of encountering a strange looking rabbit, getting lost among a maze of forest roads that eventually had him trespassing on private property, and encountering a black bear! Thankfully the bear didn’t bother him, even though Latigo really wanted to play with him!

I did my nightly yoga and physical therapy that helps make my back feel better before bed, while Bobby returned to the creek to get additional shots of the water at twilight.

We settled in for what would be a long cold night in the Cascades. I awoke early, stiff from head to toe and ready to get moving. We decided to pack camp and head for the hike we had chosen before leaving home. We drove the 1/2 hour or so to nearby Lake Wenatchee, where there is a short, 2 mile hike, Hidden Lake Trail.  There was a privy at the trailhead but it looked like it hadn’t been maintained in quite awhile. There was no toilet paper and the small garbage receptacle was overflowing with stinky, rotten garbage. We were there so early we found ourselves completely alone. We let the dogs enjoy the trail free of their leashes and they went nuts!

The trail had a gentle, meandering feel to it, with little elevation gain. There were a couple of blowdowns, but they were easily traversed over and there wasn’t any water or mud on the trail. It was only slightly rocky and never challenging for me to do at 7 months pregnant!

Gentle trail in a beautiful forest.

There were a few scattered wildflowers near the trailhead and we learned, upon returning home that the one we had found was somewhat of a rare orchid, the Calypso.

Calypso bulbosa

We reached Hidden Lake after almost a mile and Latigo immediately dove into the cold waters.

He sure does love to swim!

Beth and I chose to stay on dry land!

Having leashed the dogs, because we encountered another hiker, we headed back to the car. As we were about to pull out of the lot the other hiker we had seen at the lake emerged from the trail and flagged us down. He requested a ride back to his nearby campsite. After clearing out space for him the backseat we went on our way to the Glacier View Campground that is located at the very south end of Lake Wenatchee. The campground was free to use because it wasn’t yet officially open and several campers had made their homes there for the night. We said our farewells to the beret-clad hiker and went on our way, beginning the long drive back to Seattle.

Overall, it was a wonderful weekend, relaxing yet fun enough to completely tire me out! I’m so glad I didn’t let my pregnancy woes keep me from enjoying a great weekend in the sun! I am also incredibly grateful for a kind, caring, and understanding husband who took such great and tender care of me all weekend long!

Seeing as it was a little chilly this weekend, temperatures never got over 40 degrees, we were the only tent campers among the 61 available tent sites the park has. There was one conversion van camper located in one of the 60 utility hookup sites a little ways away. There was a set of pit toilets open in the tent campground and the ADA bathrooms and showers were open, heated, and lit at night. It was the first time in a long time that we would be camping in an area that had actual restrooms available! The water taps in the campground had been shut off so we were glad we had prepared ahead of time by filling our 7-gallon Aquatainer before leaving home.

We chose a campsite near the open bathrooms and went about setting up camp. Being 19 weeks pregnant, sleeping has already become difficult for me with lots of back pain, so I had been apprehensive about camping… Bobby had listened to my concerns and packed our Eddie Bauer queen sized air mattress to give me some extra comfort while sleeping in a tent! Camping while pregnant you can definitely bring along some extra luxuries without feeling too guilty!

Inflating the enormous air mattress Bobby packed for me!

It just fit in our Kelty Two-Person tent that we reserve for our car camping trips. We had also brought along a ridiculous number of pillows and extra blankets. Ah the luxuries of car camping!

After setting up camp we ventured off on a short walk around the small (640 acre) state park. We found a short loop trail and did some exploring.

Latigo was really excited to be out camping!

It was chilly but we did get occasional glimpses of the sun!

We had bought two bundles of firewood at a grocery store before reaching the park, and were glad we did. We didn’t see any sign that it was sold at the park. We huddled around the fire and read as the sun set. We grilled brats for dinner as the temperature continued to drop.

Frying up some onions to go with our brats!

He was kind of cold and I think he really wanted a brat.

We turned in early due to the cold as the embers of our fire began to die down. We read aloud to one another as we huddled in our sleeping bags and found comfortable positions for the night. We stayed surprisingly warm in the temperatures that reached below freezing. Latigo got cold in the night and began to pace, I covered him with half of my blanket and he settled down nicely. However, waking up cold myself a little bit later I realized that he had somehow managed to take my whole blanket from me! What a blanket hog!

We awoke before the sun was up and we heard the sound of what we thought was rain pattering against the tent. I emerged from the tent to find that it was actually a light snowfall. The heated bathroom was a godsend on that cold morning! Bobby got a fire going while I boiled water for oatmeal and cocoa. We ate as the sun rose.

We packed camp and headed to the hike we had chosen before leaving home that was about an hour from the park. We chose to hike the North Slope of the White Bluffs. Located along the Columbia River and within a National Wildlife Refuge it was a deserted spot with little elevation gain and lots of critters to encounter along the trail. We saw Canadian Geese, along with many other species of birds that we were unable to identify, and we encountered a small herd of mule deer. Latigo’s nose was definitely in over drive during this hike! We had the trail completely to ourselves, it’s been awhile since we haven’t encountered other hikers along a trail. Coyotes live in the area and we are pretty sure that we were privy to hearing them call back and forth to one another throughout the morning.

Latigo was very interested in the howling we kept hearing.

The beautiful desert landscape around us was enchanting despite the dormancy of the plant life due to the winter temperatures.

We would love to return to this spot in spring and bear witness to the flowers that must bedazzle the cream and orange cliffs.

This area has a veritable maze of trails that you can follow. Most are in such disrepair that we can only assume that they are mostly wildlife trails. However, even the trail that we are fairly certain was the proper hiking trail had no signage and wasn’t in the greatest shape and was sometimes difficult to follow because of the sandy ground cover. Finding the trail initially was difficult as the directions from the Washington Trails Association website weren’t the greatest. We parked down by the boat launch, as the instructions indicated we should. We ended up walking back up along the road for about 1/4 of a mile before we finally saw any evidence of a trail. When driving into the area there is a small horseshoe shaped turn off on the right with some room to park your car. That is where you should park seeing as the trail leads directly away from it.

We headed up and hiked about 2.5 miles in along the top of the ridge before turning around.

Stopping for a snack at our turn around point.

The clouds prevented us from sweeping views, but the views we did have were picturesque nonetheless

We followed a trail that took us down closer to the water for our trek back.

Headed down

19 week baby bump!

We had thought it would be fun to walk along what looked like the sandy shores of the beaches along the river. When we got down, however, we discovered that the beaches were part sand but mostly clay and the sticky goo we were in, sucked at our shoes and had us sinking in. We quickly ventured back to more solid ground near the base of the cliffs. The damage had been done and our boots, and Latigo’s paws, were weighted down with muddy clay.

Doing our best to avoid the sticky, muddy clay along the shores.

We followed trails that disappeared and reappeared with regularity all the way back to the car.

Overall this was a perfect hike that got us safely away from the dangers of avalanches. Also, you can make it as long or as short as you like which I always like!

Potholes State Park at EveryTrail

White Bluffs North at EveryTrail

Double rainbow on the way to Icicle Creek Canyon!

It’s one of our favorite spots in the State of WA and we haven’t camped here since early spring. We aren’t the only ones who enjoy this area and the campgrounds are generally packed every single weekend. We hoped that because it was the weekend after Labor Day and the gloomy weather report would keep the crowds away and we would be able to secure a site at the popular Eightmile Campground. There are five campgrounds along the Icicle Creek road along with numerous dispersed camping sites. However, on Thursday, there was a mudslide and the road was closed just after Bridge Creek Campground at the trailhead for the Fourth of July Creek hike, about 2.5 miles up the road from Eightmile Campground. This made much of the camping inaccessible.

We arrived after dark to the campground and were pleased to see that there were several open sites. Because it was so dark, we managed to get lost on the winding roads of the campground and it was difficult to tell if sites were desirable or not. We hoped for the best and chose a site that we felt had more low growing vegetation that would provide ample screening between the somewhat close sites when compared to some of the other available sites we had passed by. In the dark it seemed relatively private and we hoped that we would have the same opinion come morning!

Eightmile Campground has 45 sites for tents or RVs up to 45 feet in length and one group site that can accommodate up to 70 people. Sites are $19 a night (in the Guidebook, Pacific Northwest Camping, it claims that the sites are only $15 a night, this is in error). We found the price pretty steep but decided a stay in a campground might be a welcome change to dispersed camping without access to water or a bathroom. The price seemed expensive considering the campground only had pit toilets, we both feel that if you’re paying close to $20 a night the facility should have a real bathroom. But oh well!

There were several campground hosts which was a little confusing until we figured out that one of them was the “Area Manager” so we assumed they took responsibility for some of the surrounding campgrounds. While the other took responsibility for Eightmile Campground. The Area Manager was next to us in a large RV and a little cabin and the Campground Host was behind us, we were surrounded! The only bummer about being that close to two hosts was the noise of their generators during the day. Thankfully, we either didn’t notice, or they don’t run them at night.

Saturday morning we awoke to a light drizzle. It was a gloomy day with low hanging clouds engulfing the surrounding peaks. We were pleased to see that our site was relatively private when compared to the other sites in the campground. We could see neighbors on all sides, but we didn’t feel too exposed.

We made banana pancakes and hot cocoa for breakfast.

After cleaning up our dishes we decided to go for a walk down the road a ways. We wanted to check out the mudslide and Bobby wanted to investigate some of the climbing nearby. The rain would prevent us from climbing that day but we hoped the weather would break for Sunday and climbing would be possible. The walk up the road to the mudslide was longer then we expected and a steady drizzle accompanied us the whole way. But we did encounter two small bucks on the side of the road who showed less fear then we expected. In fact they seemed just as interested in Latigo as he was in them. Eventually Latigo’s incessant whining scared them away and they disappeared into the mist. The short walk we had planned on taking had actually turned into a 5 mile walk!

We got back to the campsite and decided a trip into the nearby town of Leavenworth would make for a fun rainy day activity! We found lunch, purchased a couple of beautiful photographs from a local artist at the small art show that was taking place in the town center, and got some chocolate covered gummy bears for dessert! The weather continued to clear throughout the day and the crowds continued to grow in the small Bavarian-themed village.

Goats were kept in a small pasture next to the road into town and were quite friendly!

He wanted to eat my zipper!

We headed back to the campground hoping the weather had also cleared in the canyon. Sadly, it wasn’t, the slight drizzle had persisted.

We had a lazy day in the campsite of reading, napping, setting up a tarp to protect us from the rain, and munching on chips and homemade guacamole! For dinner we made bean and veggie burritos, one of our favorite meals even when we’re not camping! As with just about everything else, they tasted better having been cooked over a fire!

We crawled into our tent after dark and read aloud from the book we’ve been reading together while camping throughout the summer. We fell asleep with hopes that the next day would bring fairer weather.

Indeed it did! We arose around 7:00 a.m. and were greeted with clear blue skies! The mountaintops that had been hiding throughout the day yesterday were out in all their glory! We made breakfast, homemade dehydrated hash browns, eggs, and sausage and hot cocoa.

We packed up our climbing gear and headed for an easy crag that was only 1/4 of a mile from the campground and accessible by a trail down by the river. We went to 8-Mile Rock where Bobby climbed Classic Crack (5.8), Mickey Mantle (5.7), and Deception Crack (5.9).

8-Mile Rock

I haven’t been climbing since January, and that was in a gym. It’s been more than a year since I’ve climbed outside and I’m not gonna lie, I don’t miss it. I was happy to belay Bobby and be his encourager. I gave a meager attempt at the 5.7 but found myself much happier on the ground!

Other climbers had already begun to flock to the popular spot and the temperature was already beginning to rise so we decided to call it a day. We returned to our campsite and broke camp. We were on the road by 11:00 ready to make the 2+ hour drive back to Seattle. We stopped at one of many fruit stands along the way and got 10 pounds of apples with plans of making pie and applesauce!

We stopped at Lake Easton State Park to have a picnic for lunch! We supped on Tuna Salad sandwiches with fresh tomatoes we had bought at the fruit stand and we polished off the guacamole! It was a glorious day on the shores of the shimmering lake! It was the perfect ending to a wonderfully lazy weekend of camping, climbing, and walking!

Lake Easton

We began our search for a site at the first campground along Baker Lake Road, Horseshoe Cove. The campground has 38 tent/trailer sites and 3 group camps, 25 of the sites are reservable while others are on a first-come, first-served basis. We were immediately greeted with a “Campground Full” sign and turned around.

Next we turned into Bay View North/South Campground, which turned out to be a group camp. Both sites are reservable for a steep fee of $75 a night and both were taken.

Thus far all the pull off sites along the road had been taken. We were beginning to get nervous…

We pulled into Panorama Point Campground next and found that it’s nine sites were full. We pulled back onto Baker Lake Road.

Next came the largest campground we saw along the road, Swift Creek Campground. It was once a resort but has been turned into a campground with around 50 campsites. There was no “Campground Full” sign and we suddenly had a small ray of hope. The campground was bustling with children and families going to and from the nearby beach along Baker Lake. We found a site that was vacant but had a tag on it, however, the tag indicated that the site was to be vacated that day. It was past noon and we assumed that the previous night’s occupants had already packed up and moved on. We backed our Explorer in and set out to pay the fee of $18 for the night and claim it as our home for the night. It was pretty private when compared to the more open sites around it and we were considering ourselves lucky that we had found it.

We approached the fee box and were soon greeted by the campground host. We first discussed the burn ban that we had thought was in effect for the entire state of Washington and were, therefore, surprised to see so many campers with campfires going. He informed us that that ban was for state land only and seeing as the campgrounds we had been in throughout the day were all on federal land the ban didn’t apply to them. We were happy to be wrong about the ban seeing as I had brought along burgers to grill and they wouldn’t have been nearly as delicious having been cooked over our Coleman camp stove.

He inquired as to what site we had found that was open and when we told him site #40 was unoccupied he informed us that it was in fact taken. A large church group had claimed a number of sites the night before in anticipation of a large group coming up that day. They had until 2:00 p.m. to decide if they wanted it for that night, and until they decided we couldn’t occupy it. We asked if he knew of any open sites and he gave us the sad news that the rest of the campground was full. Our endeavor to find a campsite for the night seemed doomed to failure. Then he offered us a small ray of sunshine. The campground across the road may have a couple of open sites. Apparently a group of families had reserved and occupied three of the sites the previous evening but the persistent rain that had plagued the area that morning had the many children in the group wanting to go home. He said that he wasn’t sure if they had actually left, seeing as how the weather had since cleared, but that we should check it out.

We went across the road to Park Creek Campground with hope burning in our hearts. We found that among the 12 sites in the campground, not only were the three sites he had mentioned open but a fourth, and more private site was also available. We pulled into site #1 and paid the fee of $12 per night and claimed the site as our own. This is a quiet, more primitive campground with Park Creek babbling nearby and old growth Douglas fir and western hemlock gracing the canopy. The campground does have trash receptacles and well cared for pit toilet.

Bobby made camp while I set about making sandwiches for a late lunch.

The bugs were pretty bad so we draped Latigo in a towel laced with bug spray, it seemed to help

As we supped we discussed whether or not to attempt the hike we had planned that day or to wait until the morning and set off early. It was late, already past 1:00 p.m. and we were worried about completing the hike before nightfall. The weather was so picturesque, despite the weather forecast of thunderstorms for the weekend, that we opted to do the hike that day in the hopes that the weather would stay cooperative and it wouldn’t take us so long that we would be hiking in the dark. It turned out that we couldn’t have had better weather for the hike and were greatly rewarded with some spectacular views of Mount Baker on our hike to Park Butte Lookout. We were also able to complete the 8+ mile hike well before nightfall.

We returned to the campsite just after 7:00 p.m. and were more than ready for dinner. Bobby built a fire using the firewood bundle we had purchased from the campground host for $6 while I set up my camp kitchen and prepared the other parts of the meal. We ate delicious cheeseburgers topped with fried onions, avocado, and tomato with chips and guacamole, baked beans, and potato salad on the side.

Bobby decided to make his a double cheeseburger!

We were so full we didn’t have room for our traditional camp dessert of S’mores. Instead we crawled into the tent early to read before drifting off to sleep. As we settled in for our nights sleep the rain started.

The approaching storm made the campground look almost purple

A slight mist came off Park Creek as the sun set and the storm approached

The storm lasted throughout the night and into the morning. Breakfast was supposed to be pancakes and sausage but we hadn’t brought a tarp to put over the cooking area so we opted to pack up our soaking wet camp and head to town for breakfast at a cafe.

This is an incredibly popular area to camp. Though there are a plethora of options I would still highly recommend making a reservation before heading to this area to camp. Had we had better weather on Sunday we would’ve enjoyed a morning on Baker Lake before heading back to the city, but alas it wasn’t to be. There is another campground further up the road from where we stopped, Shannon Creek, that has 19 sites which is the last option along the road.