McLane Trail

We had cabin fever today so we loaded up the StewUV (Stewart SUV aka the Tahoe) and headed off. We didn't know where we were going, but Dan had the good idea to try out the McLane trail up in Capital Forest (Capitol? Forest - I never know which one to use). We got there and were hardly able to find a parking spot... we figured it was just a popular weekend spot (we are slowly learning that when you can't find a parking spot there is usually something going on... again... slowly learning this (side note: stay tuned for "Notes from our Denver trip, 2008")). Anyhow, we unload ourselves, the baby, the dog (I say this like it was something quick, like "pile out family, we're here!" This process, in fact, is not quick and about 20 minutes after parking we started the hike).

We're about halfway into the hike and passed a group of people crowded around the creek w/ cameras. We figured they were taking some weird family photo (I say weird because they weren't really lined up or situated in a way that would indicate a family photo was being taken, but left with few verifiable facts I drew the only conclusion I could... and that was weird family photo time). We kept walking because we didn't want the weirdos to talk to us or otherwise taint our sweet baby boy with their strange behavior. Finally we came close enough to the creek to realize the salmon were spawning! I got really excited (side note: Dan did not get really excited... see the upcoming blog on "Strange looks Dan gives when he thinks you're bat-shit crazy). Anyhow, it was really cool to see the tons and tons of fish fighting to get upstream to lay their eggs (and then die, but whatever - still exciting). I took a video for those of you who would also find this exciting, but my computer is having issues and I can't preview it to make sure it's up to blog standards. I'll try to post that later.

Then we came across a really cool tree with a hole in the bottom and I thought it would be super cute to put Easton in the hole and take his picture. Not being the engineering whiz of the family, I didn't see the problem in trying to fit Easton through the opening.. I mean, he's a baby and VERY flexible. It took some doing and a few cries from Easton, but I got him in the hole and had Dan take some pics. He got filthy dirty, as my mom would put it, and probably ate some tree bark, but I figure he's little so he probably didn't mind. I also have to add that I made some pretty darn funny comments about the shape of the tree hole and how Easton was probably having deja vu when I took him out... something about remembering his birthday... (I SERIOUSLY crack myself up sometimes).

Then we came home and are still trying to warm up after our hike (especially Easton who had to get stripped down after being in the tree cuz he was covered in tree dirt).


Fish:
E in the tree:


D and E:


Me and Nyca: