Labor Day Camping (Sept 2013)

We decided to take the kids on a 4 day camping trip over Labor Day. They had been begging to go camping and love to hike, so we ventured on up to Sedona. We tent camped for 3 nights and found ourselves doing fun things like playing cards, riding bikes, riding chairlift up at Snowbowl (ski area just outside of Flagstaff), hike West Fork (part of Oak Creek Canyon), hiking almost to the top of Bell Rock and much more. It was a great family trip, but it was also great to get cleaned up after 3 nights without showers! Fun times!!!

Car was completely loaded up, with bikes on back and on top, things put in every nook and cranny you could think of and somewhere in there were 4 cute munchkins. Oh, and it did decide to rain the first two days (on and off), so we had to buy a canopy to help at to our overstuffed Sequoia.

First morning. Happy Kinley!!!

Exploring Oak Creek near our campsite. Tons of poison ivy to help keep us on our toes.

Rock hopping! Hunter was pretty good at this and loved the adventure of it.

Riding bikes around our campsite.

Wanted to take the kids hiking or mountain biking around Bell Rock, but it started pouring down rain, so they decided to cling the Rick display near the trailhead sign. Love there adventurous spirits!

Had yummy s'mores that night by our awesome campfire, compliments of Steven. He was so prepared for this campout, with awesome meals and plenty of adventure. Gotta love our Eagle Scout Dad!!!

Biker Kailyn! They has a blast exploring the campsite and meeting fellow campers on their bikes.

Oh my!

Someone found them a perfect sized seat on a tree stump.

Sunday morning, we stunk so bad (secondary to roughing it while camping), we decided to take the kids up to Snowbowl and have a spiritual thought with them atop the mountain. I think we all had a great time (and were glad we took our snow hats/gloves/jackets). Ski lift went right up into the clouds. So crazy!

Waiting to get our lift tickets! Boy Alton, you look so excited.

Finally got our lift tickets in hand and now waiting in line to get on the lift. 

It was fun to count all the numbers on the chairs and look for bead necklaces in the trees.

Going up!

Looking behind us.

Alton at the top.

Hunter at the top. They wanted to go down because they said they were cold. The saddle of the mountain behind Hunter is where the trail is if you wanted to summit My. Humphreys. They would not let us hike over to it because of fragile foliage.  Some day we'll get all the kids to the summit. So far, only Hunter and Kailyn have been (although they wouldn't remember it because they were so small).

Snack break time!

Black diamond ski signs. Wouldn't find me skiing down one of these! Now hiking it, yes!!!

After our mountain adventure, the rain had finally cleared up and ground dried out enough to let the kids try their hand at real mountain biking. They did great, but weren't real fond of how bumpy it was. They definitely impressed Steven and I!

Altee boy!

This was our turning around spot. They wanted to bike again the next day! Silly kids!

The kids had done so well hiking on the red rocks the day before, we thought they would really enjoying hiking on to of Bell Rock. Not only did they enjoy it, they almost went to the top!

Kailyn beat the boys.

Making a cairn to mark her trail.

Near the top. I stayed a little lower with Kinley, but no doubt they had an awesome view of Sedona.