4th Annual Hamm Boys Hike

September 4th through the 6th, the Hamm Boys, less Braden this year unfortunately but necessary due to the birth of their son Mason (see their blog), Jeff, Robb, Jordan and I went on our 4th Annual Hamm Boys Hike this year to Hyas, Tuck and Robin Lakes area of Washington.

To say the least we had a blast and look forward to the male bonding ritual for many years to come... if they allow me along with them. 

Oh wait, they will allow me to come as I buy lunch for them at a chosen restaurant somewhere near the trail head and prepare a great meal to eat on our first night out. This year's prime first night meal was Stoganoff fit for Emoril! It was chuck full of the finest cow Alberston's could muster, the best sauteed yellow onions grown in the world (Nyssa, Oregon), just the correct amount of garlic and spices to make this mouth-watering blessing too good for words other than "AHHHH"! It was so good as we lathered it over our well prepared Minute Rice. So after all of this, I think I will be invited back.

Here is a picture of the boys just before going into the lake. Notice the beauty of the area. I would imagine the lake was hovering around 45 degrees and they were ready to go.

And they did go in and get completely submersed in the freezing water. You will however notice that one of the hikers is missing in this picture and ventured in only to his thighs. 

We did have a pesky chipmunk bothering us

 in our camp so Jeff devised a little "trap" full of peanuts under the bucket... things worked really well as the varmint was enticed in to the trap, the rope was pulled out and scared the dickens out of the chipmunk as the bucket came down only slightly too late for his capture. Three more times "he" was lured in by the peanuts and the line was pulled and the bucket fell... and he made off with a good winter's supply of peanuts. Robb also was bit on his finger by a mouse in his tent on our second night, which we are sure it was revenge by the brotherhood of varmints.

Our 2nd day we left around 8:30 a.m. for Tuck Lake, a hike of about 2.5 miles in and up to 5,500 feet in elevation, a gain of over 2,000 feet; most of the 2,000 vertical feet came in the last mile of the hike, as this picture will attest. This is one of the more difficult hikes I have been on and I am glad that we were only day hiking with our day packs. We enjoyed a scrumptious meal of summer sausage, cheese, bagels and rolls and water. Howcould life get any better than that?

The lake behind us is Hyas Lake and we were camped at the far end. At this point we are a little under Tuck lake at about 5,000 feet.

We made it out despite the attack on Robb by the vicious mouse in the middle of the night and found our way to eat at the famous Roslyn Cafe. The food was great, the atmosphere superb and the company was the best less one. We hope that next year Braden and Chris will be able to come with us on another high adventure... that is if they invite me along. I love this tradition and the opportunity it gives me to be able to get up in the mountains and outdoors with my sons.