Happy Independence Day!

Hope everyone is celebrating the 4th in style. We're kicking it at work today but planning on future firework viewing. Can't let the day slip away unnoticed,we are so thankful for the freedom we have here in the USA.

Mt Whitney via East Buttress

The East Buttress on Mt Whitney has been on our to-do list for a while but it's a bit tricky getting a last minute permit and weather/time window to align. We made it to the ranger station at 11 o'clock on the dot just in time for the permit lottery, drew the lucky number 7 and were on the trail that evening.  The hike up to Iceberg Lake took just under three hours which left us plenty of time to enjoy the view, scope out our route, filter water and wish that we had brought warmer sleeping bags. Denver led the route except for the top few pitches when we were able to throw the rope in the pack and put a move on things.


A perfect view of the East Buttress. You can see some headlamps of a party descending the Mountaineers Route.



 
           Approaching Iceberg Lake                                        At the base  of the climb


At the summit

27 years old

A birthday and summer celebration with old friends, new friends and lots of babies.  
Seriously, look at the baby bounty. And this is only 3 of 5.  Little Miss Adalene is still partying it up in Vegas and Mr Phinehas is grounded until he sleeps more during the night and less during the day.

Get your rodeo on!

It's been a while since we've found ourselves at a rodeo but that's all about to change. Rodeos are fun! We both headed home with the feeling that we had missed our life's calling as a cowboy and a cowgirl. Denver was diagnosed with FOMO, otherwise know as fear-of-missing-out, ages ago so his reaction really isn't much of a surprise. I have to agree though, there's really something pretty awesome about cowboy hats, cowboy boots, big trucks and riding bucking angry animals.

Spencer Hot Springs & Austin, NV

We drove eight hours across the state this weekend on what has been coined "the loneliest road in America." While driving, we had some time to come up with the following list

Our top 3 favorite things about living in NV:

 1. Pristine and vacant hot springs, all over
 2. Free America
 3. No state income tax and free roadside camping tie for third place

(while free roadside camping may seem like a mute point, when you're camping hundreds of miles from any population source, it's such a relief to fall asleep without any fear of an angry rancher or ranger interrupting your sweet dreams)

Our destination was Great Basin National Park on the far east side of NV (which unfortunately did not make it into our top three list). We toured the park and hiked Wheeler Peak but mostly we drove through the desert. Along the drive we saw lots of sagebrush and scrub, wild horses and burros, the occasional scary creature* and small run-down mining towns. The highlight of the trip was soaking in the Spencer hot springs and the nearby town of Austin, NV. Austin is certainly an old and run-down mining town but also very quaint and charming.

 
*Scary creature mentioned above 
 

Great Basin National Park

The Patriarch

The head of the household, my Dad

The kind of Dad that drives ten hours roundtrip to come for a visit and then spoils us with fun activities and fancy dinners. All on the one weekend, when any holiday authority deems that it should be the other way around.

He's kind of exceptional