Enchanted Valley Backpacking Day 3: Sunshine Valleys, Beards, and Good News/Bad News

We packed up and left camp early on day 3, knowing it was a long walk home.  Brady panicked and started rolling up his sleeping bag at 4am, thinking we slept through our alarm.  As we ate our final breakfast in the valley, the sun rose over the peaks and it was spectacular.  It felt like a gift to capture the majesty just in time.

Look at us, starting the hike without our extra layers!  The sun made the temperatures perfect.

It felt like a completely different hike going back: different colors, significantly less mud (still plenty), and easier going.

Not sure about my wardrobe choice.  I did not know how to handle my socks with leggings and I'm still not sure...  I think we can all agree that the way I chose was off.

So charmed to find our initials carved on one of the wood bridges.  This trip will always be remembered by me as one of the sweetest gestures Brady has ever made on my behalf.

Getting close to the end.

A beard photo for the boys.  Aaron promptly shaved his off after our trip.

I need this sticker.

We had a worry-free hour of no-reception on our drive back, and then started getting slammed with texts.  I saw a confusing text from Heidi and called her, since no other messages had come through yet.  I found out that Kate had come down with COVID while we were off-grid.  We were so disappointed, knowing their family was exposed (and as a result, had to postpone their vacation when Shay and Nic also caught it).  We also felt terrible for Kate, knowing how bad she must feel with us away.  Finally, we cried for Savannah, who after 3 years of saving up her money had earned enough and planned to come back to Hawaii for the week with us.  Since Kate was quarantined, there was no way the plan would work, and we couldn't communicate that to her until we got back to the Varneys house that night, where she was excitedly waiting with her bags packed.  Ugh.

The Millers were also less-than-thrilled that their daughter was in a fender bender, too.  That has nothing to do with Coleman in the pizza shop without shoes, but this picture had to go somewhere.

Trip Totals:

44,019: steps to camp

36.4 miles

2 falls in the stream (Aaron and Roni)

1 deflected fart 

12+ bears

10+ elk

1 accidental off-roading

1 pair of melted tennis shoes from drying too close to the fire

1 critter in the camp, thankfully not a bear (because no one packed cherry chapstick) 

1: man with chaffing.  Brady asked for the nearest possible market on the way home.  "I need some drinks and petroleum jelly."  Coleman agreed, "I need a Dr. Pepper to be funny again."

4 bagels dragged all the way back home (food over packing point to Brady)

3 couples with sad children for one reason or another

6 happy campers and friends for life

$1 million dollars: the amount it would take Julie to get out of the car and backpack to the valley again at that exact moment.  "I want to see my kids again."  

Thank you, dear friends, for the memories.  Until next time!