Maiden Voyage

The RTT arrived Thursday, and by Saturday morning we were loading our gear and getting the truck packed up for our Maiden Voyage!

This cabin is one of our favorite views and one of Hudson's prime bug chasing spots!

Up Hwy 88 is this adorable little cabin hidden up a 4WD trail behind the Caples Lake Maintenance Station.  We discovered this spot years ago with the NorCal Wagons group.  That trip was full of great views from the top of the mountain, gourmet camp food, and of course lots of fun with the trucks!  This trip was much more low key.  We found a great spot in the valley, tucked away in some trees, and with this view from the tent.

Our friend, A, had just upgraded his RTT as well, and we couldn't wait to find a gorgeous spot to try out the new accommodations and get our camping season started.  

With so many options in the Sierra Nevadas, we felt confident that we would score a spot even with a late Saturday arrival.  Lets go!

We managed to get in a night of camping with a beautiful view, introduced A to our favorite place, Hope Valley, and even put the trucks in 4WD to climb to the top of the mountain.  Absolutely a successful Maiden Voyage, but the best part was sharing our love of exploring with wonderful friends.

A perfect fit!

Twins!  Our friend's 4 year old daughter joined us on this trip and told me all about how our trucks were the same with matching tents on top.  Her and I decided they were twins.

First night in the RTT and we had a perfect view of the meadow and the cabin.  Not too shabby!

J and Hudson agreed to an early morning walk through the meadow (the mud) with me.  J was reluctant.  Hudson was ready to run and play.  The mosquitoes were also ready...  

This dog mom thinks Hudson looks adorable running through the yellow flowers with the sunshine streaming in.

Let's go play!

We found some time (after the coffee was made) to capture some wild animals in the forest.  

Roar!  Or Maybe squak!  What does an ostrich say?

After a quick breakfast we drove up the road to Hope Valley.  This is one of our favorite places in the Sierras.  We can always find time to visit and it is our go to for spur of the moment and short trips.  Our friends had never explored and so it was a great day trip before heading home.  

This RTT was the perfect choice for us.  We couldn't be more thrilled!

Lower Blue Lake has perfect spots to picnic and enjoy the sunshine.  We have never camped at the sites here, but they are great for those who don't mind being close to their neighbors.  If you are lucky enough to get the lower loop, I imagine the view of the lake and the guaranteed beach/lake front is absolutely worth the crowd!

We both have 4WD, let's head over the pass from Blue Lakes to Red Lake via Forestdale Rd for a "shortcut" back to Hwy 88.  J had taken my dad on this trail a few years ago but I hadn't been yet!

Smiles from the "onlookers" as we played safely out of the way while the boys cleared a section of a fallen tree that was blocking the trail.  

Snow!  It was a warm day but we found many patches of snow and ponds along the route.  

Quick Selfie with this view behind us!

I'm a sucker for pink flowers.  And although the elevation of nearly 9000 feet means that the terrain looks more like Mars than Hope Valley, there were still some beautiful flowers in bloom with lots of pink, orange, and purple hues.

This patch of snow stopped us in our tracks.  It was impassible for our trucks, but a good spot to let Hudson play.  He might be a water dog by breed, but this guy is all about snow!

Hudson wasn't the only one who had fun playing in the snow!

And this is as far as they could go!  About 9000 feet and within a few steps of the Pacific Crest Trail.

EXPLORE . ENJOY . LOVE . LIVE