We're home and back in the land of WIFI..hahah..

We had a wonderful trip..hot and more expensive than we were anticipating.  There is no WIFI in much of NV which is why there was no updating the whole time we were gone! I hate when that happens as I know I will forget some of the things we did..here's hoping pictures will remind me..haha

Warning: there will be picture and narrative overload!! Click on any pictures you like to enlarge..Hope you enjoy our week together..:))

MONEY PIT LIVES UP TO ITS NAME!
July 3rd..Got the kids up and left about 0630 or so..had a beautiful ride across NV. Started with Adam driving the Tundra and I rode with Ken in the 97 Ford. I'm in the extended cab seat in the back and Mason rode up front.  I don't mind the back seat, because when i'm in the middle I have as good a view as the front seat.  Mason is now a little taller than me, so I have no problem giving up the front seat. Throughout the day we switched it up when Seth wanted to drive I rode in the Tundra and switched kids to the 97 Ford and then Mason would have to ride in the back as he's the next shortest. Next year that probably won't be an option as he's growing!  

This is why I'm in the back seat..Aaron is all legs!

 In Austin we stopped for gas and the kids were hungry....boy is this going to be a long day if they're hungry every two hours..haha..So we pulled over at the top of the hill and made some baggies of chips, granola bars, cheese etc..

Food break time..

Jacob and a butterfly..

Following the Jayco..

Love our open roads in NV!

 Our lunch spot in between Austin and Eureka, NV..Boys loved it here..

The lunch spot..

Mason following Adam..

One of the boys at the top!

Adam getting himself in a pickle..

At the top

At about 1300 we were at this beautiful pullover on Highway 50 ..so I busied myself with making sandwiches and the boys climbed the mountains.  I swear they're like mountain goats..hahah..Lunch served and we're on the road again.  Cave Lake is just about 300 miles from our home so we figured we'd be there early enough to get a good campsite.  

I was back in the Ford (aka MONEY PIT) and we're probably 40 miles or so from Ely, NV all three of us smell a burning like smell.  hmmmm...so Ken checks the gauges, all good...then the smell is stronger just as he says it's the alternator..gauges showing discharge..luckily there's a good pullout on the left side of the road.  Dead in the desert.  At this point we're 31 miles from Ely.  Jacob had cell service on his phone so called Progressive and after a time got a tow truck dispatched and towed to a garage 33 miles from us.  During the wait time, Ken unhooked the Jayco from the 97 and hooked it to the Tundra.  

Tundra and Money Pit trading places..

This was next to our stopping place

Jacob flexing..

Getting comfortable for the wait for the tow truck

Might as well tan..

There it goes! 

Truck was dropped at the shop.  We  planned on stopping at Sportsworld to get fishing licenses for the boys but we were too late and on the internet it said they would be open on 4th of July, just not regular hours.  So we agreed we'd get an early start and be at Sportsworld early to get licenses.  Got to the campground around 1800.  Found ourselves a nice spot, actually 2.  Ken has his pass which got us a FREE spot and we took the one next door for $15.00 a night.  We had only planned on two nights, but because the truck couldn't be looked at until Wednesday (closed for the 4th) we figured we'd need at least 1 more night.  Set the boys up at the spot next door with the tent for storage and cots and chairs up for sleeping.  Good thing we planned on a simple dinner..hot dogs and hamburgers.  Kids were happy.  

The boys first view of Cave Lake..

Rock throwing

Some people fishing

July 4th..

We got up early and had breakfast. Headed to town as these kids were so excited for their fishing licenses.  Cave Lake is a beautiful lake and supposed to have good fishing.  WE get to town, drive to Sportsworld and they are CLOSED. Don't blame them for being closed for the holiday, but post that on the website. Not modified hours..geez..so we find out one of the gambling places in town also sells them.  We call and yes they do, but their printer is down...oh geez..looks like no fishing today.  So, back to camp and lunch.  Want to go swimming boys?  No..ok.  After lunch the 3 older boys decided to go on a hike. The Cave Lake Loop, about 5 miles.  Ok, take water and snacks..stay on the trail! Ok ...So what are the four of us going to do while they're gone?  We decided to follow this road called Success Loop.  We've never been so why not?  It's a gravel road that takes you up the mountain and then down again to Highway 50.  It's 34 miles and we didn't plan on going that far just to the top and back again. Beautiful! Beautiful! It got us out of the heat for awhile and an incredible drive.  

Love the beautiful green on our drive...

The hikers getting ready to go

All right here we go..Seth Adam and Jacob..

It's so hot out here!

Some more of the drive..

Pictures don't do it justice!

The ride..Success Loop

Mason..

Vegged awhile when we got back and then the older boys returned.  Hot, tired and sweaty after their hike.  So showers for them (the campground has nice FREE showers).  

I love this picture if it wasn't my grandson Adam sitting there..
He said he had to crawl backwards on all fours like a spider to get
off there..uhhhh...

Here he took a picture of his cousins
Jacob and Seth

Dinner, chit chat..too hot for a fire.  Bedtime.  Adam had two nights of waking up with a mouse in his sleeping bag..heebie jeebies...yuk..

July 5th..

Ok to town again..oh wait, there's a big screw in one of the Tundra's tires..geez..so we drove to day use where Ken changed out the tire.  We watched people fish and the boys decided where they wanted to fish at when we got back.  Ok, let's head to town now. Ken wanted to talk with the guys at the shop to give them the go ahead and fix the Money Pit.  Then we headed to Sportsworld to get the fishing licenses for the boys.  Yay..they're open! To the front counter and she says it's a minumum of $18.00 a day for non residents no matter how old they are 12 and over. Are you kidding me?!! Ok, how about the group license?  You need one adult resident and then you can add people. That would be about $45.00 a day..still expensive but what the heck we're on vacation right?!  Oh sure, but you have to got to the NV Department of Wildlife down the road, but wait they're CLOSED on Wednesdays. WHAT?!  Yep, they're closed on Wednesdays and the only place that does it.  So we head back to camp, the boys were pretty depressed and I was plenty mad!  So now we head for the lake, take some hot dogs for lunch and sit out in the sun to burn..haha..The boys actually had a pretty good time, lunch was good.  We spent a few hours down there and then back to camp.  The Money Pit was ready to be picked up.  They did get right on it and get it done, so we knew we were leaving Thursday morning.  So $503.00 later we're headed back to camp after a stop at the grocery store (of course :)  All the boys stayed back at camp and baked. I think they had enough of the heat and sun too.  We just enjoyed the evening with a bar b q.  I forget what we had but it was good!  

Dinner!

Papa picked up ribs..finger licking good!

Adam and Seth

Think the waters cold?

Oh heck we can do it!

Aaron, Jacob, Seth and Adam

Mason watching...

I think they're gonna jump

July 6th..

Got up, breakfast and then got packed up..sure there was some showers in there too as we told the boys there are no showers at all at Great Basin.  We only had a little over an hour drive as it's about 60 miles from Cave Lake.  A beautiful drive, Seth driving.  We got to the visitor center at just about 1130.  A really nice ranger talked to the boys about the hike up Wheeler Peak.  They were hoping to spend the night somewhere on the peak  but the park doesn't allow it.  There is another trail, the Baker Trail, 13miles long and they do allow it, but the boys had their heart set on Wheeler Peak. The ranger said the campsites filled up the night before so we figured we better get there and grab one.  We headed straight for Baker Creek Campground and sure enough found a pull through Ken and I had stayed in before.  We got set up, had lunch and then decided to take the drive to the Summit Trailhead where the boys would be going the next day.  Everyone loved the ride and the views up the road.  Once we got there, since it was still early we all decided to take the Alpine Lakes Trail, 2.7 miles.  Beautiful hike, only an elevation gain of 600 feet.  The boys hike to Wheeler Peak would be a 3000 foot gain in 4.1 miles...hmm..going from 10,000 ft. to 13,065 ft...wow..By the time we got done with the hike we were ready to head back down the hill to camp.  

Visitor Center

Outside Lehman Cave vistor center

On the way to Wheeler peak

A beautiful valley below

Wheeler Peak on the right

Yep..alot of these on the way up..7500 foot to 10000 foot..

Alpine Lakes trail..

Wheeler Peak..

Alpine Lakes trail..

Just gorgeous!

God planted these..so pretty..

Like I say pictures don't do it justice..scary road!

Got back got dinner ready and we actually had a nice campfire.  Smorfs were on the dessert menu except I forgot marshmallows.  I had some chocolate chips that were called smores so we put them on the crackers, wrapped in foil and the kids loved them.  Then off to bed. 

July 7th

Had breakfast, I made the kids some wraps and snacks for their backpacks and they loaded up with water.  Ready to hike.  Got them to the Summit Trailhead around 0930 and said goodbye and I said a prayer as they left.  Please let them be safe and not do anything dumb, like the last hike (Adam). They figured on about 6 hours or so, so we headed back to camp for some clean up and relaxing.  Then a little after 1400 we headed back up the mountain and did a little hike only 1/2 mile.  Then it was hurry up and wait as we weren't exactly sure when to expect them.  Sure enough a little over 6 hours here they come! Yay!  They had an awesome time and are very glad they did it.  Everybody worn out and ready to relax.  Got back to camp, heated some warm water and they took to washing those dirty bodies.  

The hikers ready to go!!

On our little 1/2 mile trail

They're back!!

Dinner for some hungry boys.

Later as we're talking about leaving or what did they want to do?  They're ready to come back to Yerington.  It's so hot, near 100, not much shade and they did what they came to do:)  I wanted them to see Lehman Caves so we decided to be at the Visitor Center at 0800 when they open.  We were able to have a fire again and called it a night.  Adam was visited again (different campground) by a mouse..geez..I think they want to make a nest in his hair.  


July 8th..
We were at the visitor center and so were a lot of other people.  We had heard on Friday that they had additional tours at 0800 so we figured they'd have some on Sat. NOT..they added an additional tour at 1200 but not at eight.  So we waited in line to find that the tour would be at 1000, I left it up to them and they decided they wanted to be able to get all the way home in one day.  If we did the tour we'd be splitting the days and they didn't want to.  So we got back to camp and helped Papa get ready to go.  About an hour later, off we went. We made a quick stop at the Great Basin Visitor Center so we could get the kids a t shirt or some other souvenir.  They picked shirts and we headed out.  The checkout person said that was quite a feat that the kids made the hike in a little over 6 hours. They should be proud. Nice of her to say.

Sunrise out the trailer door

The tired campers

Mason in the trailer

Our beautiful Nevada roads..my kind of traffic!

 The Draw fire now over 21, 000 acres! Amazing

By the time we got to Eureka we were ready for lunch but we had to go a little farther to find where we had lunch earlier in the week.  The skies were darkening so we all were in the trailer while I made lunch.  Like Aaron said when he was little and it rained, we were in the little fifth wheel..."I love family time in the trailer"  We had it!  Lunch done, back on the road.  

Going down highway 50 near Middlegate and Cold Springs we could see a huge fire burning!  Pretty much on the right side of the freeway burning lots of acres. We passed several NDF trucks heading towards the fire and figured our neighbor Joe could be bringing his crew of inmates out there.  

Adam drove the Tundra until Sand Mountain where I switched from the Money Pit to the Tundra and Seth drove us the rest of the way home. He had driven in the morning then Adam took over.  Don't like them to drive for so long when there's other drivers.  Except Ken of course, he drove the Money Pit the whole time.  We arrived home about 1800 and they were glad to be here.  Showers were first on their agenda.  

Adam decided to go ahead and leave that night and head home to Georgetown. He has camping plans this week and his friend, Daniel is back home for the summer from southern CA.  I wanted him to stay and leave in the am, but you know kids.  

So a quiet night in Yerington. 

The loves of my/ our  life...Grandsons!
from left..Aaron, Adam, Jacob, Seth, Mason..
how blessed are we that they all wanted to
come on this trip..:)

July 9th...

We got up and got going.  I decided to head out to the Jayco, it was in serious need of cleaning!  Emptied out stuff and discovered it looks like we have stowaway somewhere in the trailer.  Probably picked up a mouse at Cave Lake.  When we were having coffee there we heard a noise that sounded like scrambling.  Ken thought it was on the roof, I'm thinking not.  I had some apples in the sink which were chewed on and little droppings.  YUK.  Ken put some poison out so hopefully that gets the critter!  Other than that, trailer nice and clean and ready to go again!  

Did some dishes, made some sandwiches, then as i sat down to work on the blog, here comes Ken and makes me go out to the garage and have an ice cold Corona Light with him.  Our neighbor Stacey came over for a visit and to have Ken look at her home a/c.  He told her he doesn't know much about it but he went over there anyway.  The a/c was working fine, maybe she didn't wait long enough for it to cycle on or who knows?  We had a nice visit and it turns out her hubby, Joe does have his crew out at the fire.  It jumped the highway and yesterday the highway was closed due to smoke and fire safety.  So a real good thing we headed home when we did!  Ken bar b q ed some burgers and I made fries.  I had a veggie burger and it was delicious.  Bedtime. 

I'm sure there's more pictures that will come in a later blog..but just glad to be caught up ..mostly..