Tag Archives: Lake Wenatchee

Coming Home to Spider Meadows, July 2009

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A challenged family returns to a home in the wilderness during late July of 2009

Note geographical and grammatical purists conspire to punctuate conversations with comments such as, “Oh, you must know the correct term for the Upper Phelps Creek meadows prior to the uppermost Basin is Spider Meadow. The designation is singular without the plural “s.” OK?” ¡LOL! The greater majority of people, however, stick a wee s on the end as “Spider Meadows” rolls off the tongue with greater ease and verbal grace than “Spider Meadow.” Besides, there are multiple smaller meadows before and especially after the main meadow of the valley separated by little copses and fingers of forest and boulders and riven by small streams. Finally, English is an incredibly dynamic language as it is so expansive and unusually inclusive. So, we shall refer to those lovely high mountain meadows along Upper Phelps Creek as Spider Meadows with an s, thank you.

Mother and Daughter contemplate the Universe. Sunday evening in Spider Meadows, GPW, 26 July 2009. Foto by William.

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Beaver Hill Wild

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Two crazy parents have fun getting their kid to do a steep, grunt hike up a local classic in the Washington Cascades, Saturday the 25th of July 2009

“I don’t wanna hike. I’m too tired!” Talia, my youngest, says as she lays down in the trail on the way up Beaver Hill. She’s rebelling, fussing, and laughing all at the same time. And she’s game! Tater Tot does make it to the tippity top. Her mom, Kristina, watches patiently before gently nudging her to stand back up. “C’mon, Bug, let’s go!” Kris finally says. Foto by William Bass.

We parked at the Phelps Creek Trailhead. Got out of the minivan to stretch and look around before opening the rear hatch to pull out our packs. The three of us were about to start our backpacking trip up into Spider Meadows when we realized something weird was going on like some kind of spacetime distortion from a shimmery syfy show. Because, what? Where were…hey, our backpacks aren’t in the car. What?!? I was so flabbergasted and confused I even peered up into the bushes. Darn! Where were OUR PACKS! Even peeked underneath the car. Ugh, not there either. OK. How? How could I forget? I’m SO CAREFUL and METHODICAL! It’s how our post-multiple divorce, remarried, extra-blended, postmodern, post-polyamorous family managed our logistics amidst chaos! Truth was we’d forgotten the packs. Nope, I’d forgotten the packs. Me. I failed to doublecheck back at the River House, our base in the Greater Leavenworth-Lake Wenatchee-Plain-Spider Meadow area. My goodness, was I upset! Mad, despondent, but also laughing at the absurdity of it. Deep down I felt grateful, tho, as a menacing tumult of heavy, dark clouds rolled in, the wind blew, and a few raindrops fell. Kristina thought it all ridiculous, and yet so divinely perfect as we didn’t have to camp in the rain. She was more peeved at how grumpy I was. Talia threw back her head and rolled her eyes in her most perfect act of pretend delirium. 

Stormy skies thunder into the Glacier Peak Wilderness here at the Phelps Creek TH where the hike up to Spider Meadows begins.

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Dirtyface Love: Sweaty Romps up Dirtyface Peak

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Two eccentric, adventurous lovers hike, scramble, and explore a rough and tumble mountain in the backcountry of the Greater Leavenworth – Lake Wenatchee – Stevens Pass Area one frosty midweek day in February 2007 and again one blazing hot Saturday in July of 2008. For love is a choice, and a relationship may be as strong and as fragile as one’s trusty, old, hiking stick.

Dirtyface Views. Saturday 26 July 2008. Fotos by the author & his partner.

Kristina on top in the bright, bright sunshine.

William Bass on Dirtyface.

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East into Winter Woods and Frozen Deserts

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A wacky Father-Daughter Winter road trip East across Washington State into Cascadian forests around Lake Wenatchee and the River House then on into the deserts of the Channeled Scablands carved by gigantic Ice Age floods into vast, prehistoric lava plains, themselves formed by even more ancient basalt lava floods, January 2010.

Road Trip! Zooming deeper into Coulee Country in the Scablands of the Columbia River Basin, Monday 18 January 2010.

Lake Wenatchee in the Cascade Mountains on a beautifully gloomy day as more storms roll in this Sunday the 17th of  January 2010.

My oldest child, Morgan Hannah years before she became Dylan Blair, as she strides thru the icy edges of the Potholes Reservoir Lakes, Monday the 18th of January 2010. She’s 15 still, only two months shy of turning the Big 16.

Me, her Dad, at the River House on the Upper Wenatchee. In good spirits, too, as I love road trips & being outdoors. I’m only 50 here. Gosh, be 51 years in about 3 months. Foto by Morgan/Dylan. Sunday 17 January 2010.

Emerald Isle, Lake Wenatchee, Lake Wenatchee State Park. Sunday 17 January 2010. It’s a cold, cold late afternoon as dusk approaches.

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Snakes & Horses! Lake Wenatchee Family Camping Trips 2005 & 2006

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Memories & Restored Fotos from two family camping trips a year apart to Lake Wenatchee State Park and nearby Nason Creek Campground in the surrounding Wenatchee National Forest, May 2005 & May 2006

*This is an unfinished work in progress. Please enjoy anyway. Thank you.*

Snakes! Kate with a corn snake, Monroe, WA. Memorial Day Weekend, Monday 30 May 2005. Here’s she’s about 6 and a half years old.

Horses! Talia upon a horse in Lake Wenatchee State Park, WA. Sunday 28 May 2006. Talia had recently turned 4 years old.

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