Mt. Conness Hike--Yosemite 6/30 to7/3/ 2009

Mt. Conness Backpacking Trip:
Three Families, Four Cousins, Two Birthdays and Four Days in Yosemite.

We had a great backpacking trip, Greg and Nathan, Jeff and Ryan, Brent & Debbie with Ben and Josh. Hiking together, with backpacks or cross-country, over 18 miles of beautiful and rugged Alpine Yosemite terrain, we learned a lot about love, mutual support, teamwork, and accomplishment. Plus, we became experts in packing and unpacking "bear canisters" to keep the food away from the bears. Debbie celebrated a birthday milestone on the trail, as did Ryan (#17)!

Mt. Conness Expedition Members
Ryan, Jeff, Brent, Josh, Nathan, Debbie, Ben, Greg

Day 1: Gathering in Yosemite, Tuolumne Meadows Campground

Arriving in Yosemite Valley

Beautiful vista, 5 min from our first campground

One hour spent packing all food into bear canisters the first night.


Oops. Brent forgot two old sticks of gum in his and Debbie's camelback water packs.
The bear found it during the night, ate the gum and a bite of the foam padding for good measure. Debbie's pack survived; Brent's did not!

Debbie laughs off the bear visit.
She says the bear sounded like someone's "scratchy" snoring.

Day 2: 6 mile hike to Young Lakes, via Dog Lake

At the trail head.

Greg leads us across the first of many high-water streams

Brent and Debbie celebrate the stream crossing. Brent's ankle, sprained badly only three days before, is miraculously strong.

Happily exhausted along the trail, about 1/2 way there.

Rest time.


Lunch stop at a meadow along the way.

Ben, Josh, Nathan and Ryan hiked ahead. They beat the oldsters to camp by 2 hours. Here's their trail marker to let us know we were still following them.

Day 3: 6 miles, cross-country to Mt. Conness & back to base camp

Starting out for Mt. Conness, 7:30 am

Pointing the way to the peak

The 4 Amigos, peak in background

Greg and Jeff

Ryan and Dad.
Happy moment for Dad.

Nathan and His Dad.

Timmy the Marmot, looking for lunch.

At the highest point on Mt. Conness's shoulder.
We didn't pick up the summit trail, and so turned back before it got too late in the afternoon.

Nathan and Greg

Ryan and Jeff, Roosevelt Lake (at the base of Mt. Conness) in the background.


A quick video showing our group along the shoulder of Mt. Conness, above Lake Roosevelt
Brent and Debbie are crossing the slope below.


Ben, Josh, Ryan and Nathan, heading back down to Base camp, which is about 3 cross-country miles away under the high peak to the right ("Ragged Peak")

Self-portrait, arriving back at our base camp on Young Lake, late in afternoon.
We were hiking cross-country for about 9 hours.

Brent and Debbie share a romantic moment, walking across the meadows below Roosevelt Lake. It's Debbie's Birthday!

Fixing Josh's packstrap

This is the second tent site selected by the seasoned scouts.
Unlike the first, this site was on level ground so people didn't slide out during the night.

Here's the waterfall "shower" enjoyed by Nathan (pictured), Ben and Josh, while Ryan watched hoping no one would slip off into the snow/rocks/lake.

Day 4: 6 mile hike out, from Young Lakes to trail head

Wishing Ryan a happy 17th birthday at camp on Day 3. He's opening his present (wrapped in a paper bag), a Yosemite bookmark with his trademark "Wolf," from his "Yosemite hiking buddies." Debbie received a similar bookmark, with a picture of a gum-chewing Yosemite bear.

The group, assembled ready to hike back. Nathan asked, "Dad can I have the keys to the car?," knowing that they'd rocket down the trail and arrive hours before the 50-something hikers.

I literally walked the soles off of these boots.
I had to tie the soles on to keep them from flapping off.

Ryan rocks.

Greg kept us all positive as we hiked along, telling his true stories of trail wisdom.

Josh was great for boosting morale.

When there was a slippery snow slope or difficult stream to cross, we could count on Ben to lead the way.

Nathan, a trail gazelle; nothing seemed to slow him down

A million thanks to Brent for getting the trip organized, and to Debbie for her loving family spirit that kept us all together.

This picture is for Mom and Dad:
Brent, Jeff and Greg, heading down the trail.
Thanks for teaching us about the wonderful world of High Sierra backpacking,
and for all the happy trail memories past present and future.

Happy Father's Day--2009

Thanks to my father Stephen L. (with mother Marion), my wife Robyn, and my sons Christian (with Katie, and Grandson Dylan), Austin (with Rachel), Elder Stephen D., and Ryan for making it such a wonderful Father's Day. As I said in Toastmaster's last week, for me "Every day is Father's day!"

That's a sharp new tie from Katie/Christian/Dylan, plus cards, balloons, and other goodies from Robyn, Austin, Rachel & Ryan--and best of all a kiss from Robyn.
(P.S., the tie is from "J. Crew." Did you know the "J" in J. Crew is for Jeff?)

After Church, to a family gathering at Greg and Jillair's.
Grandma Marion made her acclaimed custom strawberry birthday cakes for the two June birthday girls, Rachel and Robyn. Thanks, Grandma Marion!

Grandma Marion and Grandpa Steve recounted their recent adventures in Russia.

Erin-ski tries on the Russian headdress that Grandma Marion brought back from Russia.

So nice to have Andrew, Michael and Erin in town, too!

Ryan and Nathan wrestling--over who gets to play with Andrew's new ball!

A family song, "The Family is of God," with Jilliar playing the piano and Robyn leading.

Solo Hike Through Whiting Ranch

I enjoyed my 3 hour hike through Whiting Ranch on 6/13/09, about 6 miles from door to door. Training for Mt. Conness.

Along the trail.

Big oaks along the Borrego Trail

Was that a mountain lion I heard, stalking me??? No.
Taking a rest on Mustard Road, near the top.

Whiting Ranch Vista--recovering from the fire

Prickly pear blooms; one bud scarred by fire, the other spared: both flowers equally beautiful. The same cactus would have yellow and orange flowers side by side.

Here's a video of the view from near the top of "Dreaded Hill." You can see from Santiago Canyon Road, Foothill Ranch, the Saddleback Valley, Portola Hills, etc.

Harvard Law School Graduation Trip June 4-7, 2009

Robyn and I were so excited to spend a few days with Christian, Katie and Dylan in Cambridge to help celebrate Christian's graduation from Harvard Law School.
Join us in a tour...

Christian trying on his robes at their apartment home the night before the Ceremony. Katie put up a banner and balloons--Congratulations Grad!

Walking to the graduation ceremonies, leaving at 7:00 am. Christian and Katie's home is on the left. Robyn stayed home with Dylan...

Christian with some of his law school classmates, at breakfast, before the graduation ceremonies started.

Seating was unreserved, outside, on folding chairs while the rain threatened. You'd think that after 358 years Harvard could figure out a better way to celebrate graduation. I guess this is the tradition.

The two Katie's--waiting for graduation Commencement to commence.
Katie Perry and Katie Robinson.

Christian and Dylan on the big day.

A nice hug for Mom from the graduate.

Proud papa.

The Cambridge trio

Dylan wants to know: when do I get to walk across the stage?

Hooray, Christian receives his diploma, assisted by Dylan.

We all gathered for a picture after lunch at the law school.

Katie presented Christian with a beautiful frame for his diploma.

Next day, time for sightseeing.
Since Dylan was born on the night of Paul Revere's ride (April 18), he took us on a tour of Lexington and Concord.

The countryside was green and beautiful at Lexington and Concord.

This is a park ranger. She is dressed as the proprietor of a historic tavern on the road between Lexington and Concord, where the first battle of the Revolution was fought. She is explaining the opening events of the revolution. That's a real smooth-bore black-powder musket she's holding, which she loaded and fired for us! Dylan loved the big BANG!

Christian at the historic tavern. That's a raised bed garden in the background.

Dylan and I went exploring in the fields.

Robyn and I took a fascinating tour of the Longfellow House, a two minute walk from Christian and Katie's home. This is where General Washington had his Continental Army HQ in 1775-76, and where later Longfellow wrote of the Midnight Ride of Paul Revere.

The gardens at the Longfellow House. My umbrella broke the first time I tried to open it.
I threw it down in frustration.

Dylan took us to Walden Pond.
Apparently Thoreau liked to swim, because now there's a beach, lifeguard station, serious swimmers wearing wetsuits, and everything!

We visited the New England Aquarium. Dylan loved watching the sea turtles, sharks, divers and other creatures swim by.Christian introduced Dylan to the penguins

We had lunch at a local pizzeria--been there since 1926. Good pizza; gruff service.

Last but not least, here's that part of the University-wide morning graduation ceremonies where they awarded the degrees, by group, to the Law School. Bad view, good event.
Congratulations again to Christian, Katie, and Dylan.