Bear Lake 2009

We grabbed an opportunity to camp for a few days at Bear Lake again this year. Not the full Schoenfeld crew like last year (last minute planning) but still a welcome break.

Just a few highlights:

We had our tent (on the right) up for less than 15 minutes when a freak gust of wind blew it completely upside down, reassuring me once again that our luck is completely portable.

We also discovered, shortly after arrival, that our immediate campsite neighbors included a family with five small kids and a great dane and a dozen sorority girls from Utah State. The experience was neither as annoying nor as hot as it sounds.







We spent the better part of the time at or on the lake itself. Renting a ski boat one day and just chilling on the beach the next. I took a reasonable number of photos of the water itself, but none of them do justice. The particular blue-green color of Bear Lake is remarkable and reminds me of the Caribbean.

On Wednesday, the girls met some boys from the wave runner rental shop... and eventually... cleverly... invited them back to the campsite for a bonfire. I know it's perfectly normal and was probably the highlight of the trip for them, but still strikes a primal, grouchy nerve in me. I faked maturity, however, and appeared to be a completely reasonable father.








Q: Why attempt to eat a mediocre 28 inch, $55 pizza named Old Ephraim?
A: Because you can have a polaroid taken to prove you did.

Q: Why not attempt to eat Old Ephraim?
A: Common sense (not pictured).




This is a photo series that tells a miniature story.

1) Evan and River are out in the lake past this marsh and well beyond earshot.
Tracy goes out to get them for dinner (her idea, not mine).

2) The wind is louder and the marsh deeper than expected.
She has to go all the way out to be heard.

3) Tracy returns and tells me all about her adventure. The end.


In spite of a few minor setbacks (marauding skunks, incessant wind) I think a good time was had by all. Bear Lake may be becoming that thing we do every year as a family. We need more of those...

I took way more photos than you'd care to see here, but may put a gallery up on Flickr soon. Stay tuned.