nuggets: from Tahoe, with love

Apparently, only posts extolling the joys of camping with kids might get written this summer. With school looming on the horizon and little time to do everything that matters, the best that this virtual space can accomplish is to document the moments that it would be devastating to forget.

Responding to a spontaneous and unexpected invitation from friends to join them for several days of camping at Sugar Pine Point State Park in Lake Tahoe, we loaded the car and headed out on Saturday.
DAY ONE

We met these friends for the first time in late May, when they spontaneously joined other friends whom we had invited to camp at Henry Coe. The kids liked each other, we kept in touch, and without a whole lot of ado, we figured we'd make good camping partners.

 Right, as always.

 

DAY TWO (Sugar Pine Point State Park + Beach)

I've said it before, and I will say it again. It never ceases to amaze me how kids will find something to do wherever they find themselves.

construction workers

two dogs just wandered into our campsite one morning; we never found out who they belonged to

At Lake Tahoe, "something to do" often equates with "something to marvel at," "something to look at," and "something to touch." Oh, and something to think about. To contemplate.

 

 

we are sitting on old railway tracks that go, mysteriously, under the water

see the tracks?

 

 

Sava's wish for next summer, articulated strongly today for the first time, is to learn to kayak

 The beauty is both overpowering and soothing. Even with people and (in particular spots) boats all around, there is a sense of deep and gratifying solitude.

The kids, I am convinced, can sense it, too.

 

The water is cold but not impossibly so.

Everyone except for the moms went swimming. Yours truly photographed.

 

swimming in Lake Tahoe!

where is Raya? swimming in Lake Tahoe, too!

Back at camp, we had our first experience of what the forecast had gently described as "pm chance of thunderstorm."

 

Rado begins to dig trenches; by the time we left, our tents looked like medieval castles surrounded by deep moats

It rained, and it hailed, and the campground turned into a maze of puddles.

they are each riding their friends' bikes; we did not bring ours as hers is too small for our bike rack...so a whole lot of swapping and "sharing" went on

It gave tireless children a lot to do and laugh about.

 

 (I love the energy on his face in these photos. He's glowing. Under a cloudy sky.)

 

DAY THREE (Camp & D. L. Bliss State Park)
In the morning, we woke up feeling *confident* that we had seen the worst of the rain and would be rewarded with a sunny day. That feeling, in retrospect, reflects the arrogance of people who live in a place with only two seasons--sunshine (most of the year) and rain (fall + spring). Such people lack the imagination required for anticipating real weather.

 

 

 

The kids helped Rado dry the tent and shore up the trenches he had dug up the night before, but we all regarded it as mere child's play--something to do while we packed up for the beach.

 

By the time we got to the beach--stunning Calawee Cove at D. L. Bliss State Park--the kids had three layers of clothes, which included down jackets AND swimming suits. They started in all three, and finished in swim suits.

has she stopped climbing every boulder and rock in sight, you ask?...no

*THESE* are the real colors of the place

While the threat of rain (and especially thunder and lightning) made our whole group ever so slightly nervous, this mama was camera happy the entire time.

see the rain in the distance? 

 

We finally packed up to leave when it seemed like the thunder was crashing right above our heads. (In the photo below, the kids are listening to the thunder.)

As soon as we got into our cars, the sun shone again, but an hour later, it was pouring.

Back at camp, the dads took personally the challenge of building a fire out of drenched logs. The kids helped scour the forest floor for semi-dry pine needles and tiny sticks to serve as kindling.

 

Thanks to some hard-earned fire-building lessons learned the night before, a fire came to life that had everyone smiling.

And then it hailed. The size of small grapes.

 

 

But the fire, miraculously, did not die,

and the older kids had yet another wild night of playing in the rain (the young ones were being put to bed *while* it hailed; Raya reported later that it was calming to go to sleep to the sound of rain).

DAY FOUR (packing up + Baldwin Beach)

Normally, on the last day we pack up and leave. However, this being a morning when everyone had to hustle in order to avoid getting drenched again, we found ourselves yearning for some more time together.

 

 

 

 

After a brief stop at Sugar Pine Point Beach to tour the mansion of the founders of Wells Fargo, we drove south and ended up, spontaneously, at Baldwin Beach. As with all things spontaneous, it was a brilliant choice.

With a generous sandy stretch and an expansive view of the lake (yet again), this beach provided a good place for lunch and an even better place for play.

 

We parted, promising our friends and our kids to camp again. Our friends headed south for another five days of camping elsewhere (!). We are home, thankful for the memories.

And for the showers.