Now that it’s June-uary in Seattle, as it is every year, it’s time to reflect on what an anomaly May 2012 was, and how we took advantage of it. We managed an early – and prolonged – glimpse of the PNW summer and we basked in it! Deuter Kid Packs accompanied us on our summer-esque adventures, ensuring happy campers and thus, happy parents. Jackson armed with his Junior Kids and Conrad with his Ultra Bike pack ensured a full May adventure dance card: climbing and dirt camping in Leavenworth; day trips through the Seattle Arboretum, OO Denny Park and Discovery Park to inhale new blossoms, old growth forests, and views of the Olympics; tidepooling during rare tides on the Olympic Peninsula; and a flash up to Mt. Baker for the Memorial Day Ski-to-Sea Relay.

Our inaugural camping trip took us up Icicle Canyon where spring run-off rages down to Leavenworth. After our family’s first-ever round of Bavarian Miniature Golf (complete with Jackson’s hole in 1), we headed up stream to park our rig. We nestled in, gleefully setting up camp in our Hallmark pop-up camper. We knew this was going to be the first in a long series of getaways, and the excitement was palpable. Smore’s, bike riding, rock throwing, and bush wacking (the boys loved the foliage nearly to death), and rock climbing melted away the weekend. Jackson (5) showed Conrad (2) how to wear his body harness, then he clambered part way up a respectable 5.5. By day’s end Conrad was chanting “Belay Off. Climb On” etc. The Wards made our trip extra friendly, as 3 year-old Ali invited Jackson and Conrad to unabashedly shower in the dirt at every opportunity. Ticks, thunderous spring run-off, and endless night skies reminded us that we were visitors.

Over the following weeks we toted boots and raingear to local haunts and were surprised when the sunshine invited us to strip down to basics. OO Denny Park in Kirkland offered a microcosmic rainforest complete with an 800 year-old Doug Fir. Small children begged to don backpacks like their siblings so we quelled whines by filling their packs with stuffed animals and water bottles. Discovery Park beckoned us beyond cliffs towards the beach on a crystal clear day that left everyone frisky and wide-eyed. The Olympics lined the horizon with a fresh coat of white paint. Meadowlarks and other birds and bunnies darted in and out of the tall grass, Puget Sound as the backdrop. For a moment the kids forgot their badgering about snacks and engaged in the landscape.

Less than a week after unloading camping gear we packed back up to follow the negative tides at Crescent Bay. Our friend Joe tempted us with visions of hubcap-sized starfish, so we didn’t give it much thought. While trip packing and unpacking can feel frenzied and a bit stressful, pulling out of the driveway always feels better than the alternative of staying home. With the camper we bring more stuff than we can with our car- so we do. This time we were glad of our winter wardrobe, as we seemingly parked at the point where the winds hit land racing through the Straights of Juan de Fuca. But s’mores-filled kids, anxious to see eagles, ospreys, and potentially octopi, were unfazed. Chris wowed us all in the 2-foot high surf, and kids yelled for their echos in the WWII bunkers at Salt Creek Recreation Area.

May rounded up with the Ski-to-Sea where Team Booher cheered me on for my first shot at the Cross Country Ski leg of the legendary relay. Under the shelter of the impossibly beautiful face of Mt Shuksan, we had cool temps and clear skies for my 30 minute lung-busting workout. After the initial shock of racing uphill on skinny skis with 500 other people at 8 in the morning at 4000’, I settled into the event around me and smiled as I watched Olympians rounding their final turns (I was still getting up one of the first hills). May was on the way out, and we felt like we’d snuck one in behind mother nature’s back. She has woken up now that it’s June in Seattle and the heat in our house is back on. But we are planning our next trip- laser show at the Grand Coulee Dam? Mt St Helens wildflowers? Mt. biking in Oakridge? We are open to ideas and can’t wait to expand our carbon footprint.

–Ellie Booher (Family Ambassador)

Be prepared for every adventure!

• Find the right Kid’s pack for your young adventurer at Deuter.com
• Help your kids pick out their favorite Junior Pack color at Backcountry Edge
• Grab a Kid’s Bike Pack at Rock Creek