Back from Blackwater Rim

I love mountains. Our family enjoyed a refreshingly long weekend on the Blackwater River and later on the rim of Blackwater Canyon. We also got to spend some quality time with new friends who are attending StoneBridge. Thanks, Ephraim, Charlotte, and Tyler for a great weekend. Their friends, Paul and Su-Jen from Northern Virginia also joined us for the festivities. David, Loren, and Krista (fellow StoneBridgers) joined us on Sunday night.

Our family loves camping. It brings us closer together and usually helps us to re-energize and refocus on the tasks waiting back in civilized life. Here are some of the highlights and lowlights from the trip:

Highlights:

• enjoying trying my hand at trout fishing for the first time in my life
• eating freshly cooked trout on Saturday night (caught by other people)
• building deeper friendships and making new ones
• watching the sun go down on the rim of Blackwater Canyon
• taking the fam on a mid-stream hike down the side of Canaan Mtn (don't ask)
• successful covert mission into Blackwater Falls campground for hot showers
• driving back and forth on Canaan Loop Road, getting "mud on the tires" (4x4 road)

Lowlights:

• weathering torrential rains Friday and Saturday morning
• having to change muddy clothes on the kids 27 times
• Tyler tumbling into the rapids of Blackwater River, but subsequently rescued by mom and dad
• firewood $5.50 per bundle
• leaving solitude for civilized life

I leave you with some pics from the trip...