No matter how busy life can get each year, there is one thing that can slow everything down and put it back into context: Summerdale. For the pas 30 years, the Keislers have been camping for one week each year just outside the South gates of Yosemite in a tiny campground filled with poplar trees and next to an idyllic creek. We are now into the third generation of Summerdale campers that include families from San Luis Obispo to Long Beach. While there have been years that Summerdale has been a relaxing retreat for swimming, reading, and catching-up on afternoon naps...these are not the days. These days, there are at least as many children under the age of five as there are adults meaning that man-to-man defense, diaper changing, and life vests are more common than long hikes, long books, and long conversations around the campfire.
This year, the O'Dowds, Armstrongs, Hubers and Keislers joined the fray from Long Beach. Given that there were (8) small children in the group, a lot of time was spent in the water where there was ample sand, rocks to throw, and fish to catch. We did make it into the Valley on one day to visit Happy Isles, the nature center, and to see the incredible waterfalls. The water across the Sierras has been at record levels with a huge ice pack and deep snow still melting and filling the rivers. In fact, some of the ski resorts were still open while we were enjoying 80 degree days beside Bass Lake (where the water is also 80 degrees at night).
The other highlight of Summerdale, of course, is the campfire. Given that seven of the either small children are boys, the campfire has an incredible allure. The parents established a perimeter with chairs and a rule that we could only walk around the chairs (rather than around the fire pit), but there were still many opportunities to burn, maim, and ruin the night. Amazingly, no one was hurt on any of the three nights that we had big campfires. We all had our stick to burn, our smores' to roast, and our scary stories to tell. While it was good to get dirty and sleep in our tent together; it was also nice to get home, shower, and sleep in our own beds. We are all looking forward to camping next year when everyone is a little older!
No matter how busy life can get each year, there is one thing that can slow everything down and put it back into context: Summerdale. For the pas 30 years, the Keislers have been camping for one week each year just outside the South gates of Yosemite in a tiny campground filled with poplar trees and next to an idyllic creek. We are now into the third generation of Summerdale campers that include families from San Luis Obispo to Long Beach. While there have been years that Summerdale has been a relaxing retreat for swimming, reading, and catching-up on afternoon naps...these are not the days. These days, there are at least as many children under the age of five as there are adults meaning that man-to-man defense, diaper changing, and life vests are more common than long hikes, long books, and long conversations around the campfire.
This year, the O'Dowds, Armstrongs, Hubers and Keislers joined the fray from Long Beach. Given that there were (8) small children in the group, a lot of time was spent in the water where there was ample sand, rocks to throw, and fish to catch. We did make it into the Valley on one day to visit Happy Isles, the nature center, and to see the incredible waterfalls. The water across the Sierras has been at record levels with a huge ice pack and deep snow still melting and filling the rivers. In fact, some of the ski resorts were still open while we were enjoying 80 degree days beside Bass Lake (where the water is also 80 degrees at night).
The other highlight of Summerdale, of course, is the campfire. Given that seven of the either small children are boys, the campfire has an incredible allure. The parents established a perimeter with chairs and a rule that we could only walk around the chairs (rather than around the fire pit), but there were still many opportunities to burn, maim, and ruin the night. Amazingly, no one was hurt on any of the three nights that we had big campfires. We all had our stick to burn, our smores' to roast, and our scary stories to tell. While it was good to get dirty and sleep in our tent together; it was also nice to get home, shower, and sleep in our own beds. We are all looking forward to camping next year when everyone is a little older!
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