First, a recap of our fun-filled camping weekend with the twins club. It really was fun -- a blast, even -- but so many things went wrong. The day we left, Friday, July 28th, I couldn't seem to get going. Couldn't get any work done, couldn't get ready for the trip. Rocket Boy was working along briskly, despite his lingering cold, but I was so unmotivated. Or something. I discovered what the something was when we FINALLY got on the road, around 3:30 or so, and I realized I had a sore throat. Yes, that's right, I was coming down with Rocket Boy's Santa Barbara cold, as we were driving the 80 miles to Snow Mountain Ranch. We took two cars, because that's the only way to fit in all our gear, so I couldn't exactly snuggle up in my seat and take a nap. OMG, I thought. How will I get through the weekend?
We drove over Berthoud Pass in a thunderstorm, but the camp was relatively dry when we arrived, a very good thing since we need to put up the tents and set up the campsite. And, to my joy, my new air mattress was comfortable and I could sleep on it -- at least, with the help of the Tylenol PM I'd brought. I wasn't expecting to be sick, but I knew I'd have trouble sleeping at 8750 feet. We went to bed early and I slept well for a few hours, but around 2 or 3 am I woke up, and at 3:30 am the rain started. Rain on a tent is never a good sound, not comforting and cozy like rain on a roof. Our tents actually stayed pretty dry, but camping in the rain is so miserable. Fortunately someone from the club had recommended bringing gazebos if you had them -- for shelter from the sun -- but they work just as well for shelter from the rain. We'd set ours up over the picnic table before we went to bed, which meant that Rocket Boy could heat water on the stove in the morning and we could have oatmeal and tea. So wonderful to have tea.
This photo shows Kid B's response to the rain -- he's pretty good at entertaining himself when he has to (the cards are Despicable Me 3-themed and we got them in a Happy Meal at McDonalds, literally the only useful "toy" I have ever seen come out of a Happy Meal). But Kid A, typically, was bouncing off the walls of the tent and the ceiling of the gazebo and we had to do something with him. That boy needs action!
So we went canoeing. Snow Mountain Ranch does not provide the sort of camping experience that I had in my youth, where you go to a National Park and set up a tent and then spend your days sightseeing in the park and hiking. Snow Mountain Ranch is more like a camping-themed amusement park, and every year there are more and more activities. It's gotten so busy and complicated that now they let you register online -- and pay -- for activities before you arrive. Nothing is very expensive, but there are some costs (for instance, canoeing is $5 per person). Rocket Boy had tried to take the kids canoeing here a few years ago and a thunderstorm hit just as they got on the water. So I signed us all up this year for a morning canoe ride, figuring we'd get out of there before the rain. But of course it was raining already. So we went to the canoe dock for our 9 am appointment and they said we could go out as long as there was no lightning, which there wasn't. Kid B chose to stay in the car, and with my sore throat I chose to stay on the dock under the roof, but Rocket Boy and Kid A happily went out in a canoe. And they said they had a good time, though they got absolutely soaked.
After canoeing we made a stop at the campsite so Kid A could change clothes (Rocket Boy had only brought one pair of jeans and thus had to stay wet). The family next to us was packing up to go. I totally understood -- their kids were toddlers -- and I thought about how much harder this rainy trip would have been when ours were younger. There was a group of Girl Scouts at another campsite near us (the pink tents that you can see beyond our orange and blue ones are theirs), and they packed up to go too -- not sure if they had intended to stay Saturday night or not. No one took their place after they left.Then we visited the Kiva Activities Center. We had never been there before, since why be indoors when you can be outside in the mountains, but it was a very useful place on a rainy day. Especially since the restrooms were really warm and cozy. Rocket Boy spent a long time in the men's room, trying to dry out. We played a game of family pool -- everyone hitting any ball they could -- and while Dad hit the most balls into pockets, Kid B got the last two balls in. Then Kid A attempted to roller skate -- rental was free -- while the rest of us watched. We also watched other people playing basketball and volleyball and pingpong.
The second activity I'd signed us up for was archery, and we had been afraid that it would be either cancelled or moved indoors because of the weather. But by the time our 4 pm appointment rolled around, it hadn't rained for a couple of hours, so we headed for the archery range and yes, it was happening. I'd only signed up Kid A (another $5), but three people backed out after the introduction, so Kid B got to do it too, for free. Rocket Boy also took a turn, on the last round, but I wasn't tempted. Still feeling wretched.
In the morning we ate breakfast and then started packing up to go. I don't know whether I felt worse on Saturday or Sunday -- it was pretty much a toss-up, but by Sunday I'd had two bad nights, so probably that was the worst day. After I packed up the kids' and my sleeping bags and clothes, I took them to play mini golf and go tubing (see photo) so that Rocket Boy could get more done. Someday maybe we won't have to do it that way -- someday maybe they'll help -- but someday is seeming farther and farther away. If I hadn't been sick, maybe I would have put more energy into getting them to help. Maybe.We were packed by about 12:15 (only 15 minutes past the cut-off) and then we had lunch at the other eating establishment at the camp, the Buckboard (better food than the Commons but excruciatingly slow). At about 1:45 pm we were ready to leave. The drive over Berthoud Pass was fine, but when we reached I-70 we got into an epic traffic jam. We should have checked CDOT on Twitter to find out that there had been a big accident near Morrison around 11 am, but we didn't. My phone was almost dead, I finally found the charger but couldn't remember where to plug it in (illness and lack of sleep caused brain fog), and Kid B and I couldn't find our walkie-talkie so we couldn't communicate with Dad and Kid A. Hours crawled by. Rocket Boy and Kid A took a shortcut and got home by 6 pm; Kid B and I stayed on I-70 and got home at 7 pm. We should all have been home by 4. Oh well.
What would I do differently next year? Not a lot. We remembered almost everything this time: tea kettle, matches, pillows, an umbrella. Next year I will bring more sleeping pills, because those did help. I think we should try some other activities, too, since archery was so fun this time. On the other hand, I'd definitely like to hike next time. Maybe a horseback ride? For food I brought mainly pre-made stuff (sushi for Friday night's dinner, and our contribution to Saturday night's potluck was potato salad and pasta salad from the grocery store). Molasses sugar cookies were probably the only things I made from scratch -- but at home in Boulder, of course. If I were feeling more ambitious I could pre-make a few more things at home, and I think I would bring eggs, because the kids would have enjoyed scrambled eggs for breakfast. But for me cooking is not relaxing, so it's important not to make that part of the trip any harder than it needs to be.
Ten more days until school starts. Ten more days.
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