End Of Summer Hurrah

What do Americans do during Labor Day? They go camping, and that is what we did this past weekend. This was the kids' first time and they were so excited!
Josh was able to get off work early Saturday afternoon so we headed off to Mt. Hood for the weekend. Aaron and Katie joined us.
When we reached Vancouver we saw a thick brownish haze in the air. It was smoke from a controlled burn on Mt. Hood in hopes to slow down a wildfire.
As we reached the town of Sandy, it didn't look too promising. We had to turn off the air because the smoke was just too thick.

Mt. Hood with smoke

However!...when we reached the camp ground we were on the other side of the mountain so we were safe.
After setting up camp we started dinner and enjoyed eating roasted hotdogs and sitting around the warm campfire.

The next day we went "exploring" as J.D. calls it. We headed up to Timberline Lodge to check things out. The kids were really hoping to play in the snow, but the snowline was just too far up the mountain.

At the lodge

A beautiful view of Mt. Jefferson

Ski lifts

After an hour or so at the lodge we headed to Trillium Lake...and was it packed!

We took a hike around the lake

And found a secluded spot to play in the water.

After that it was time to go back to the campsite, but I had just one more stop. Along the way to the lake I saw an old fence and it immediately caught my attention. So I asked Josh to stop by it on the way back so I could check it out and I am so glad he did.

*Brief History Lesson* The following picture is a view of Mt. Hood from Summit Meadow. Summit Pass was a way for pioneers to make their way further into Oregon without taking their chances in the treacherous Columbia River. A resting spot was Summit Meadow...just a few miles down from our campground! (Yes I was ecstatic to be this close to history!)

Summit Meadow

(Can't you just picture wagons in a circle taking

a few days to rest after the mountain pass?)

Another view of Mt. Hood from Summit Meadow

But there is a sad story here. You see, that fence that caught my attention was a cemetery. A Pioneer Cemetery.

Inside this fence lies 3 lonely headstones.

One of which is still readable.

And the one that is still readable breaks my heart,

yet at the same time brings a comfort to me.

Strange, I know, but its true. And I don't know why it does.

This next picture is the headstone that reads as follows:

BBBB

Infant Son

of WL & Bar
barBarclay
Born Jul15

Died Sept 14

1882

And engraved upon the side it simply reads "A Mothers Love"

I wish I could have spent more time there for many reasons, but that is another post. And that will have to wait for quite some time.

Anyways, after my time at the cemetery we headed back to camp for dinner and some s'mores.

Sadly the next morning we had to pack up and head home...but not before one last romp through the woods.

And a quick and healthy breakfast of doughnuts and oranges!

(It's camping...we eat what we want.)

Just a few more minutes to play and take some pictures while the last things are being loaded into the trucks.