First camping trip, Camp Hale, Pando Colorado

This was our first camping trip with the kids.  Our plan was to find a site at Camp Hale. It was a lot of fun but somewhat hectic, with kids this age you constantly have to watch them and help them. Our main goal was to expose them to camping.


A few days before we went camping we set up the tent in the back yard. Freya decorated it with pink pillows. Everything went well once I got Freya to calm down and stop jumping around both her and Oscar slept well.


Fence blocking logging road. We parked in an area where there were a lot of logging access roads fenced off. They make for perfect camping access. There was also a lot of evidence of bear activity, lots of bear poo and lots of tracks so it was a good opportunity to teach the kids about not eating in a tent and keeping a clean camp.


The kids at work connecting tent pole sections.  Our camp site was 100 yards from the road in site of the cars.  It was a wooded area with a large meadow next to it.


Oscar and Brody discussing tent pole construction procedures.


Kids rest after a bit of hard work.


Testing the sleeping pad.


Dinner time.


Oscar kicking up his feet.  Kat and Brody had  kid sized camping chairs, Oscar and Freya loved them.  Our next purchase.


Brad enjoying the fire.  It appears there was pine beetle kill logging in the last several years.  There were bucked logs and stacks of limbs everywhere, the easiest firewood gathering ever.


Brody hiding in the Vestibule.


Me reading a book to the kids.  The candle lantern hanging from the ceiling of the tent is providing most of the light, Freya helped with her flashlight.


Whitney snuggling by the fire with Brody and kat.


Family shot.


Breakfast.  We spent the morning picking some wild strawberries that were growing in the meadow next to our camp site.


Enjoying some milk.


Freya and Kat


Kids being silly.


Brad and I pointing out the candle wax dripped on my shirt.


Ptarmigan Pass facing Machine Gun Ridge to the East.  The meadows were loaded with wildflowers.  Brad, Whitney, Kat, Brody, Eva and Freya are all out there.   I was back at van, Oscar had fallen asleep.


Ptarmigan Pass facing Ptarmigan Hill to the West.  Eva and I hiked up there about 3 years ago with Freya in the child carrier/backpack.  It's an amazing view up on top.  When the kids get a little older this will be a great peak hike for them.



Girls walking through the flowers.


Columbine Rock Garden.   The Colorado Columbine is the Colorado state flower.




Everyone headed back from rock garden.


Snow field on way back from rock garden.


Eva and I top of Pass.


On the drive back from the pass we stopped near a camp site and a beaver dam that had been breached because it was blocking a culvert and flooding the road.  We had a picnic here.  There was also another field of columbines.