Birthday hike

I should be doing fourteen other things to get ready for youth conference tomorrow and Robbie's birthday on Friday, but we had such a fun hike last night I want to get it posted. I had to turn down an invitation to hike to Cecret Lake with a friend yesterday morning since we had swimming, but decided that would be a perfect way to celebrate Rob's birthday. The Stringhams were game (as always) so we grabbed sandwiches and drove up to the Albion Basin. Here's what it looks like from the base (it's worth the drive even if you don't want to hike):

Everything is more fun with cousins.

The wildflowers were so pretty. I didn't get any shots that do them justice so we might just have to go back up—I hear they're at their peak mid-August.

At the trail head:

One, two...

skip a few...and we're there:

Food always tastes better after a hike:

By the time we got up there the sun was down.

So we hurriedly lit the candles on the mangled brownies (by the way, that's a 4, not a 9)

and sang happy birthday:

As photo nazi, I couldn't leave without a few family photos, which Shawn kindly took:

And I tortured them too:
We hustled back down the mountain:



And made it to the bottom just as it was really getting dark. If only I had brought a tripod, you'd see how pretty it was.
It was definitely something we need to do again, and often. Thanks for the idea Julie, and thanks for coming along Stringhams!