8/18: Washoe Camping and a Short Marlette Backpacking Trip

Hi EVERYBODY! We've had a great week! 

Fun with the card company, running, climbing, and a great long weekend of camping and backpacking! 

We spent some time out in the sagebrush, doing some low key (and lowball) bouldering at the Washoe Boulders. They're some of our favorites. We camped out in the middle of nowhere, the wind didn't come up, we got a beautiful sunset and the coyotes were screaming as we fell asleep somewhere between Carson and Washoe Valley. 

My little heartbeat, near the Washoe Boulders.

My two wander-buddies, Greg and Mattie, enjoying another sagebrush sunset.

We got really lucky on the way out and saw a big gorgeous RATTLESNAKE!

He was polite and friendly and just slowly slithered away into the brush.

He was greener than other rattlesnakes I've seen.

We love him.

Again, could be a she...we don't know snakes that well.

Snakely buddy! Hi! We think you're the coolest!

 Then we dropped Mattie off with her buddies Nancy and Bob to get spoiled for a few days while we left for a short backpacking/fishing trip up near Tahoe.  

Greg was super fired up about it.

You'd trust this guy to plan and lead a backpacking trip, right?

Most importantly, he's just SUPER FIRED UP!

We hiked along a beautiful and perfect path up North Country Road and set up camp in the afternoon.

Finding gigantic dandelions along the trail.

Then we hiked up to Marlette Lake. It was AWESOME. Great fishing (15" cuttbows and huge brookies!), bald eagles flying, osprey crashing into the lake to get their fishy dinners.

Beauties at Marlette Lake. It's all catch and release, barbless flies only.

 Also, and this was my favorite part -- BEAVERS! Beavers making houses at the lake!

Here he is just swimming along in his beautiful lake home. Eeeeee!

Here he is taking an aspen branch back to the house.

Here he is just looking super awesome and relaxed in the afternoon sun.

We hiked back from the lake just before dark, ate surprisingly delicious freeze-dried pad thai, drank hot chocolate at camp, and fell asleep after a long day in the water and the sun.

The next morning we ate Mono Bars and oatmeal and coffee, then hiked back to the lake for more fishing, swimming and wildlife watching.

Morning camping selfie, where Greg threatens to eat my Mono Bar.

There were rainbow clouds. #nofilter. Is that how you do that? I don't know hashtags.

 

We hang out and it's awesoooome.

 We hiked out in the afternoon after a great short trip and got a huge gigantor awesome meal at Red's 395 in Carson City, got the little Mattie girl, and came home to the ranch on the river. Summer feels like it's starting to wind down, but we have a couple more backpacking trips planned, and it feels like it's going to be a special August and September.

Love,

Allison and Mattie Dog