My birthday this year was on a Saturday, which meant I didn't need to take off from work. I slept in and with the weather looking iffy I decided I would plan my day in an impromptu fashion. With the late wake-up, I ended up deciding to hike some peaks outside of Mountain Home. I left the house around 11am and headed over. My first peak attempt failed due to access issues so I moved on to Peak 4008', a barely noticeable top along US-20. This was a very straightforward hike across sage and grassland. The "peak" has pretty unremarkable views but it surely is a seldom visited area. After completing this hike, I decided to head home rather than hike a second peak and risk delaying dinner.
Dinner was at The Twisted Timber, a local place known for good beer and more recently, pretty good pizza! The three of us had a great meal and we even got Claire home early enough for her usual bedtime. Getting old is no fun but at least I had fun doing it?
Birthday Hike Pictures!
Monday, February 27, 2012
Sunday, February 19, 2012
Claire President's Day Update
On Valentine's Day Claire was officially five months old! In honor of George Washington's Birthday, here are some recent pictures and videos!
Claire Five Month Pictures!
Claire Bouncy Seat Video
Claire Playmat Video Part 1
Claire Playmat Video Part 2
Another Claire Bouncy Seat Video
Claire Laughing Video
Claire Five Month Pictures!
Claire Bouncy Seat Video
Claire Playmat Video Part 1
Claire Playmat Video Part 2
Another Claire Bouncy Seat Video
Claire Laughing Video
Sunday, January 29, 2012
Claire Four Month Update
Another month has passed and it's time to share some more pictures of Claire. Enjoy!
Claire Four Month Update Pictures!
Claire Four Month Update Pictures!
Monday, January 16, 2012
McAfee Peak Snowshoe
With the winter weather still good, Dan and I went on another winter outing. This time we selected McAfee Peak in the Independence Mountains of Northern Nevada. The drive down was a little long and extended by our choice to use Maggie Summit and NV-226 to reach the peak. After leaving Boise at 5am, it was after 9am before we were hiking. We were amazed at how little snow there was at the 7800' trailhead!
The route to the peak follows a 4x4 road for awhile before crossing a mix of open and forested terrain to reach the summit ridge. The forested terrain was bouldery with a thin layer of snow which made things a little treacherous. It was the annoying "too much snow for boots, too little for snowshoeing" problem - I preferred snowshoes despite hearing them scraping rock much of the time. Eventually we got above the rocks and into deeper snow near the summit ridge. Once higher, the wind picked up and it started to get a little chilly. The summit ridge was even windier but with intermittent patches of bare rock and soft snow. We eventually got annoyed crossing rock and ditched the snowshoes, instead just hiking the last few hundred vertical feet to the summit.
The peak has great 360° views of a huge part of northern Nevada. Oh, and lots of brown terrain! Other than the steady wind at the summit, it was a perfect winter day. We relaxed for a bit (out of the wind), refueled, signed the register, and identified the nearby peaks. The descent was much easier and proceeded without issue. We were back to the vehicle in just over 6 hours having climbed a 10000' peak in January. Not bad!
On the way out we drove from Jack Creek Summit directly to NV-225 which got us home in 3 hours. This route was much faster but one that is rarely possible in mid-January!
McAfee Peak Pictures!
GPS Track
Dan's Trip Report
The route to the peak follows a 4x4 road for awhile before crossing a mix of open and forested terrain to reach the summit ridge. The forested terrain was bouldery with a thin layer of snow which made things a little treacherous. It was the annoying "too much snow for boots, too little for snowshoeing" problem - I preferred snowshoes despite hearing them scraping rock much of the time. Eventually we got above the rocks and into deeper snow near the summit ridge. Once higher, the wind picked up and it started to get a little chilly. The summit ridge was even windier but with intermittent patches of bare rock and soft snow. We eventually got annoyed crossing rock and ditched the snowshoes, instead just hiking the last few hundred vertical feet to the summit.
The peak has great 360° views of a huge part of northern Nevada. Oh, and lots of brown terrain! Other than the steady wind at the summit, it was a perfect winter day. We relaxed for a bit (out of the wind), refueled, signed the register, and identified the nearby peaks. The descent was much easier and proceeded without issue. We were back to the vehicle in just over 6 hours having climbed a 10000' peak in January. Not bad!
On the way out we drove from Jack Creek Summit directly to NV-225 which got us home in 3 hours. This route was much faster but one that is rarely possible in mid-January!
McAfee Peak Pictures!
GPS Track
Dan's Trip Report
Tuesday, January 10, 2012
Williams Peak Winter Hike
With the winter snowpack in Idaho being pathetic, Dan and I decided to ascend a big peak that is normally inaccessible in mid-winter. We chose Williams Peak in the Lost River Range, a peak with good vehicle access and a low-angle canyon approach. We left Boise just after 5am and were hiking just after 9am.
The ascent was very straightforward and the route up the canyon was much less difficult than we remembered from our last visit (climbing Mount Church and Donaldson Peak) in 2003. The canyon is a little bit brushy and rocky but almost always offers a decent route choice. The snow was not very deep in most places and we didn't even put on snowshoes until we reached 9000'. From there the snowshoes were really only helpful until we reached the summit ridge at 10000'. The final push to the summit was windier but on easy talus which was mostly blown clean of snow. Temperatures were likely in the low 30s and aside from the wind, it was quite pleasant!
The summit views were a little disappointing due to the clouds shrouding all of the nearby big peaks. However we were thankful that visibility was never a problem on our ascent. We retraced our route on descent and made it back to the vehicle before 4pm. On the way through Arco we stopped at the Deli Sandwich Shop which was pretty decent. Another dining option discovered!
Williams Peak Winter Hike Pictures!
GPS Track
Dan's Trip Report
The ascent was very straightforward and the route up the canyon was much less difficult than we remembered from our last visit (climbing Mount Church and Donaldson Peak) in 2003. The canyon is a little bit brushy and rocky but almost always offers a decent route choice. The snow was not very deep in most places and we didn't even put on snowshoes until we reached 9000'. From there the snowshoes were really only helpful until we reached the summit ridge at 10000'. The final push to the summit was windier but on easy talus which was mostly blown clean of snow. Temperatures were likely in the low 30s and aside from the wind, it was quite pleasant!
The summit views were a little disappointing due to the clouds shrouding all of the nearby big peaks. However we were thankful that visibility was never a problem on our ascent. We retraced our route on descent and made it back to the vehicle before 4pm. On the way through Arco we stopped at the Deli Sandwich Shop which was pretty decent. Another dining option discovered!
Williams Peak Winter Hike Pictures!
GPS Track
Dan's Trip Report
Wednesday, January 4, 2012
Claire New Years Update
Our New Years was pretty uneventful. On Friday the 30th we applied for Claire's passport which is needed if we ever take her to Canada. Kind of silly but it did make for a funny photo! On New Years Eve I hiked with 18 (20?) others to Cervidae Peak just outside of Boise. The weather was very mild (for December), the moon and stars were out, and there was no snow so it was quite enjoyable! The past two years I skipped due to snowstorms and subzero temperatures so it was definitely a nice change.
The rest of the weekend was dominated by relaxation, football watching, and decoration-taking-downing. Also, some more pictures of Claire are below!
Claire New Years Update!
The rest of the weekend was dominated by relaxation, football watching, and decoration-taking-downing. Also, some more pictures of Claire are below!
Claire New Years Update!
Wednesday, December 28, 2011
Christmas 2011
Once again we traveled to Vancouver for Christmas. This time we were traveling with Claire, which gave us some concern ahead of time but turned out to be a non-issue. Claire was a great traveler, either sleeping or being quiet on all four legs of our journey! Someone in the Bellingham airport even called her the perfect baby! Megan picked us up late Wednesday evening after we arrived in Bellingham. Other than Claire crying in the border lineup, our trip to Vancouver went very smoothly.
In Vancouver, we went to the Festival of Lights at VanDusen Gardens for the first time. It features 1.4 million lights on display in a garden. It was much bigger and brighter than the display at the Idaho Botanical Garden but way more crowded. I think I like the Idaho experience better - less crowded, more spaced out, and it has LED trees! Dave works at the garden and was very helpful in arranging our visit - thank you Dave!
Our visit to Vancouver was dampened by a stomach flu bug that was being passed around. Dave, Greg, Liz, Megan, and Emily were all affected but somehow all three of us managed to escape. Despite at least one person being sick for much of the visit, we did a little bit of shopping, attended the Christmas Eve service at Kerrisdale Presbyterian Church, and were there for the Christmas brunch and Christmas dinner at the Shepherd house. We had lots of good times with family and had a great time giving and receiving presents! Of course Claire had a big haul, consisting of books, toys, clothes (thank you Dave for the Santa suit!), and other items. Everyone was excited to meet Claire and we were very happy that she behaved well during her first trip away from home.
Our return trip was also uneventful (thank you Claire!) and was highlighted by a quick stop at Trader Joe's in Bellingham where we got a few things to cram into our already stuffed suitcases and some food to eat in the Bellingham airport. We got home late in the evening on Tuesday and I had to look forward to two days of work.
We hope everyone had a great Christmas!
Christmas 2011 Pictures!
Christmas 2011 Video
Present Opening Video
In Vancouver, we went to the Festival of Lights at VanDusen Gardens for the first time. It features 1.4 million lights on display in a garden. It was much bigger and brighter than the display at the Idaho Botanical Garden but way more crowded. I think I like the Idaho experience better - less crowded, more spaced out, and it has LED trees! Dave works at the garden and was very helpful in arranging our visit - thank you Dave!
Our visit to Vancouver was dampened by a stomach flu bug that was being passed around. Dave, Greg, Liz, Megan, and Emily were all affected but somehow all three of us managed to escape. Despite at least one person being sick for much of the visit, we did a little bit of shopping, attended the Christmas Eve service at Kerrisdale Presbyterian Church, and were there for the Christmas brunch and Christmas dinner at the Shepherd house. We had lots of good times with family and had a great time giving and receiving presents! Of course Claire had a big haul, consisting of books, toys, clothes (thank you Dave for the Santa suit!), and other items. Everyone was excited to meet Claire and we were very happy that she behaved well during her first trip away from home.
Our return trip was also uneventful (thank you Claire!) and was highlighted by a quick stop at Trader Joe's in Bellingham where we got a few things to cram into our already stuffed suitcases and some food to eat in the Bellingham airport. We got home late in the evening on Tuesday and I had to look forward to two days of work.
We hope everyone had a great Christmas!
Christmas 2011 Pictures!
Christmas 2011 Video
Present Opening Video
Tuesday, December 20, 2011
Claire - December 2011 Update
Here are a few pictures of Claire from the past month or so. The last few are taken from the nighttime Christmas light display "Winter Garden aGlow" at the Idaho Botanical Garden which we attended with Bonnie. We offer our apologizes for the low quality cell phone pictures. While the poor quality pictures may not reveal it, the lights were great and Claire was mesmerized the whole time! Also included are a couple of pictures from downtown Boise. Enjoy!
Claire December 2011 Pictures!
Claire December 2011 Pictures!
Saturday, December 17, 2011
Christmas Decorations
Usually we don't do much in the way of decoration, but this year we decided to up the ante a bit. Besides the usual tree and train, we put lights on the house, car, and my desk at work. I got the idea for putting lights on the car from Ian and it has proven very popular here!
Christmas 2011 Decorations Pictures!
Train Video
Christmas 2011 Decorations Pictures!
Train Video
Monday, December 12, 2011
Bull Mountain Snowshoe
Dan invited me on a snowshoe trip to Bull Mountain just over the Utah border. This peak is noted for being a county highpoint and for having substantial topological prominence. Dan had failed on this peak the weekend prior (due to bad weather and navigational errors) and was ready for revenge. We met at 5am and were soon heading to south central Idaho to bag the peak. After a stop in Burley crossed the Utah line and we were at the trailhead ready to go just before 9am. The weather was pretty good for us - mild temperatures (in the 30s), high clouds, and minimal wind.
We were able to make good progress up the ATV trail and thence to a smaller trail up Lake Fork. This trail started out good but was soon obscured by blowdowns in several places. Dan did an amazing job bypassing the obstructions and managing to find the trail fragments, making what would have been an arduous struggle through snowy forest into a reasonable endeavor. Eventually we worked our way high enough that we could see a clear path to the ridge leading to the summit. It was a steep grunt up to the ridge top, but from there it was a straightforward ascent to the very flat summit of Bull Mountain.
The summit views were great and took in some ranges I had not seen in a long time. Due to fog, we couldn't see the Great Salt Lake immediately to our south. The summit register was filled with familiar names from the county highpointing community and made for great reading. Other than the flatness of the summit, everything about this peak was great. Our descent was much quicker than our ascent and we were easily back on the interstate heading home before dark.
On the way home, we stopped at Wendy's in Burley. This choice was questionable due to the really slow service. The highlight of the Wendy's visit was the person in front of us who had to wait 5-10 minutes to get his order taken. After ordering a frosty, the cashier said "That's it?! If I had known you were only ordering a frosty, I would have taken your order much sooner!". Fortunately we didn't have to wait as long as he did for our orders but I left with a great memory of bad restaurant service.
In short, this was a very fun and rewarding snowshoe ascent under very pleasant conditions.
Bull Mountain Snowshoe Pictures!
GPS Track
Dan's Trip Report
We were able to make good progress up the ATV trail and thence to a smaller trail up Lake Fork. This trail started out good but was soon obscured by blowdowns in several places. Dan did an amazing job bypassing the obstructions and managing to find the trail fragments, making what would have been an arduous struggle through snowy forest into a reasonable endeavor. Eventually we worked our way high enough that we could see a clear path to the ridge leading to the summit. It was a steep grunt up to the ridge top, but from there it was a straightforward ascent to the very flat summit of Bull Mountain.
The summit views were great and took in some ranges I had not seen in a long time. Due to fog, we couldn't see the Great Salt Lake immediately to our south. The summit register was filled with familiar names from the county highpointing community and made for great reading. Other than the flatness of the summit, everything about this peak was great. Our descent was much quicker than our ascent and we were easily back on the interstate heading home before dark.
On the way home, we stopped at Wendy's in Burley. This choice was questionable due to the really slow service. The highlight of the Wendy's visit was the person in front of us who had to wait 5-10 minutes to get his order taken. After ordering a frosty, the cashier said "That's it?! If I had known you were only ordering a frosty, I would have taken your order much sooner!". Fortunately we didn't have to wait as long as he did for our orders but I left with a great memory of bad restaurant service.
In short, this was a very fun and rewarding snowshoe ascent under very pleasant conditions.
Bull Mountain Snowshoe Pictures!
GPS Track
Dan's Trip Report
Thursday, December 1, 2011
Peak 5140' Hike
A few weeks ago, I embarked on a short hike in the Boise foothills above Robie Creek. The destination was Peak 5140', a little known peak in a mostly ignored area. After driving up Robie Creek and over Crooked Summit I parked at a suitable spot and began hiking up up the west slopes of the peak. The going was easy at first but got brushier as a I got higher. After slogging for a bit, I eventually reached the summit which was simply a mass of brush with no views. Disappointing, but not unexpected!
After a short time visiting the high areas in the brush, I decided I'd see if I could find a good route over to nearby Daggett Point. I quickly found a good trail and made nice progress, however soon I was surfing through heavy brush again slowly descending toward Daggett Creek. Since I had limited time, I chose to turn around and save Daggett Point for another day.
On the way out I decided to explore a third peak, Zephyr Ridge Point. A little bit of hiking from Crooked Summit revealed it has a house on top and is part of the Wilderness Ranch subdivision. At that point I lost interest and returned to the vehicle. Only one peak, but it was nice to see a nearby area that is seldom hiked.
Peak 5140' Pictures
Trip statistics: 3h, 4 miles, 1600' elevation gain
After a short time visiting the high areas in the brush, I decided I'd see if I could find a good route over to nearby Daggett Point. I quickly found a good trail and made nice progress, however soon I was surfing through heavy brush again slowly descending toward Daggett Creek. Since I had limited time, I chose to turn around and save Daggett Point for another day.
On the way out I decided to explore a third peak, Zephyr Ridge Point. A little bit of hiking from Crooked Summit revealed it has a house on top and is part of the Wilderness Ranch subdivision. At that point I lost interest and returned to the vehicle. Only one peak, but it was nice to see a nearby area that is seldom hiked.
Peak 5140' Pictures
Trip statistics: 3h, 4 miles, 1600' elevation gain
Monday, November 28, 2011
Thanksgiving 2011
This year for Thanksgiving Katie, Claire, and I met Gary and Bonnie for dinner. This year dinner was at Berryhill & Co., an upper-end casual restaurant in downtown Boise. They had a buffet which featured turkey, roast beef, ham, an excellent salad, bread (yum), mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, vegetables, pasta, and various dessert dishes including pumpkin pie. It was very good and made for a very enjoyable Thanksgiving evening! Oh and Claire was very quiet throughout dinner!
The rest of the weekend was dominated by football watching and Christmas decorating. There will be a separate blog post on the decorations but for now we have a few more Claire pictures!
Claire Thanksgiving Pictures
Claire's Bath Video
Claire Babbling Video
The rest of the weekend was dominated by football watching and Christmas decorating. There will be a separate blog post on the decorations but for now we have a few more Claire pictures!
Claire Thanksgiving Pictures
Claire's Bath Video
Claire Babbling Video
Wednesday, November 2, 2011
Granite Peak Hike
Dan put together a trip with Michael and Sean to visit Granite Peak in Nevada. After minimal deliberation, I decided to join. We left Boise just after 6am on Sunday and began the long drive down to northern Nevada. It was just after 10am when we parked at the trailhead above Hinkey Summit and below Granite Peak. From the start, it was a relatively quick hike up and down the peak at just over two hours for the round trip. The route was very straightforward (follow a fence line, then hike up) and got us to the top in a very direct fashion. The summit block has some easy and fun class 3 climbing to finish off the ascent. The summit views from Granite were impressive and were new vistas for all of us!
Since we drove so far, we weren't content for settling for one short hike. We also climbed nearby Peak 8560+ and Buckskin Mountain before departing. Both of these were very simple and direct ascents from nearby roads. Michael's FJ Cruiser was very helpful in getting us close to these peaks!
In short, this was a great hike with two new hiking partners in a new area under beautiful Fall skies and warm weather. Simply put, it was a great day!
Granite Peak Pictures!
GPS Track
Dan's Trip Report
Since we drove so far, we weren't content for settling for one short hike. We also climbed nearby Peak 8560+ and Buckskin Mountain before departing. Both of these were very simple and direct ascents from nearby roads. Michael's FJ Cruiser was very helpful in getting us close to these peaks!
In short, this was a great hike with two new hiking partners in a new area under beautiful Fall skies and warm weather. Simply put, it was a great day!
Granite Peak Pictures!
GPS Track
Dan's Trip Report
Tuesday, November 1, 2011
Claire - Halloween Update
Below are a few pictures of Claire in her various Halloween outfits and a duck costume courtesy of Katie's coworker Richard. While Claire looks cute in the costume, she wasn't very happy with it and we were lucky to get any pictures where she wasn't fussing!
Also included are a few older pictures from my phone!
Claire - Halloween Pictures
Also included are a few older pictures from my phone!
Claire - Halloween Pictures
Wednesday, October 26, 2011
Gardiner Peak Hike
On Sunday I went on a short hike in the Boise foothills. The destination was Gardiner Peak, a little known peak in the Boise foothills which seemed to have a trail. I parked at Peace Rock (along the Boise Ridge Road south of Bogus Basin) and followed the very obvious bicycle trail through the forest in the general direction of the peak. Before long, there was a junction and I headed right. From there the trail climbs to an open ridge and leads almost all the way to the summit. A quick jaunt off of the trail under the forest canopy led me to the summit, which is adorned by a cairn and register. Summit views are limited but I was blown away with how pleasant the day was - warm weather with a mild breeze and lots of Fall colors!
The day was so enjoyable I extended the hike by exploring the trail in the direction of Clear Creek Summit. I didn't go all the way but it probably extended the hike by an hour or so. In my opinion, this little known hike is one of the most pleasant in the foothills!
Trip statistics: 7.25 miles, 1100' elevation gain, 2.25 hours
The day was so enjoyable I extended the hike by exploring the trail in the direction of Clear Creek Summit. I didn't go all the way but it probably extended the hike by an hour or so. In my opinion, this little known hike is one of the most pleasant in the foothills!
Trip statistics: 7.25 miles, 1100' elevation gain, 2.25 hours
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