Creative Reflections

Captive to Emotions

Emotions can be a difficult mistress! For no apparent reason I woke up this morning with a heart that felt "ruffled." I couldn't really put my finger on the source and kept thinking, "if I can just figure it out, I can conquer it!" My first thought was to do something creative and "escape" to memories of our recent trip to Tahoe. I pulled out one of my photos and started fiddling with it.

I was happy with the results but was still not feeling settled. What was the cause of this nagging discontent, edging on sorrow?

And then it hit me. I was looking for "things" to fill my heart. I wanted blessings, ease of days, to be back in Tahoe. I wanted to be free from the responsibilites that are crowding the hours of my days.

I was confronted with the knowledge of the idols I harbor in my heart; foolishly thinking they are going to be the answer.

And then this thought hit me, even as I reflexively pursue idols Christ is loving me, drawing me in, securing my place and never, ever growing tired or discouraged with me. That is the thought that finally settled my heart and allowed me to say to those silly emotions, "be gone, you have no power over me today!"

A Few Layouts from Our Trip

We have been home for a couple of weeks now. I was thrust back into reality as soon as we got home. We celebrated Austin's birthday, the boys and I volunteered for a week at our church's Vacation Bible School, and then I had a kit to create and a magazine to edit......sigh....I'm already longing for the mountains again!

Anyway, I have had a chance to put together a few layouts from the trip. I'm determined to "scrap" this whole trip and not just have the photos sit on my hard-drive. Perhaps posting them here on the blog will help me be more accountable to that goal!

In no particular order here are the first few layouts I've put together:

Freaky Fun Friday!

The boys are excited! On Friday we took them para-sailing. I don't have any deep insight to share. Sometimes you just gotta do something because it is fun...and it makes your boys smile and then laugh out loud!

Watching warily as others go before them

Getting ready...

Getting "hooked up" to the parachute

Just before they flew off the end of the boat Ryan said, "Tell my mom I love her!" Don't worry Ryan, she knows! (grin)

There were about 12 people who were part of the group that went out. Our's were the only boys so the crew had a lot of fun teasing and joking around with them. They wrote this

and sent it up the line for the boys to read

They pretended to cut the line

And then....

they....

dunked them....a couple of times!

I'm not 100% certain...but I think they had a BLAST!

Later in the day we took another trip down the Truckee River. This time around I went with the boys in the kayaks while Mario took Tramp and Millie for a walk down the bike path.

Saturday is our last day in Tahoe. As always, it is hard to leave! I'm so very, very thankful for the gift of this time in this most beloved of places. I give my thanks, as always, to my sister and brother-in-law for their generosity in letting us stay at their place. When I get home I'll try to put together a quick re-cap of our trip. Until then...be well!

Thank Goodness Thursday

The boys titled this day, "Thank goodness Thursday," as in...thank goodness this is our LAST hike of the trip! It isn't that they don't like hiking; it is just that I like it a wee bit more than they do. We try to strike a balance on our trips to Tahoe-doing enough so I don't feel cheated and not doing so much that the boys get burned out and lose heart. So, while the boys were saying thank goodness it is our last hike, I'm saying thank goodness for my boys (and Mario!) who generously share their time with me pursuing something I enjoy so much.

We decided to head back to the Carson Range and hike to Round Top and Winmemuca Lake. This is one of the few hikes that I take that is not all about the destination lakes. Although the lakes are interesting, and even dramatic, there are other reasons I love this hike. First, I LOVE the approach to Round Top Lake. This is a loop trial and you can choose to travel either clockwise to Winnemucca and then onto Round Top or counter-clockwise to Round Top and then onto Winnemucca. The first choice is the easier route as you end up going downhill for the steeper part of the trail. But I like the more difficul route going to Round Top first for reasons I will explain as we go along. The second reason I love this hike is because of the flowers. I think this is the most flower-filled hike in all of the Tahoe basin, at least as far as I have experinced.

The trail starts at Woods Lake Campground. You quickly begin to climb through a mix of hemlocks, white pines and granite erratics. It is a moderately, winding hike.

Soon you are above the campground with views of Wood Lake below and a filtered view of Round Top peek ahead.

For part of the hike you follow along Woods Creek.

This is a high elevation hike starting at 8,200 feet and ending at over 10,000 feet elevation. Because of that high elevation snow lingers in sheltered hollows and the peaks of the "The Sisters" well into July.

Ryan had to check out the snow and make a few snowballs.

Anthony and Austin joined him.

And here is the reason I love the approach to Round Top Lake. The lake is surrounded on its far side by volcanic summits called, "The Sisters." There is something about climbing up the hill with those snow capped peaks ever before me that moves me deeply. I tried to explain it to Anthony.... It is as if deep inside my inmost being there is a place where all the challenges of living in a fallen world are locked away; the secret hurts that I'm not even aware that I still carry around with me, the knowledge of my own sin, the faithless worry that can sneak up without warning whispering the lie that Christ isn't good enough to secure my salvation. I'm so used to carrying this "stuff" locked up in my heart that I'm not even aware of it most of the time. But for some reason when I hike this mountain I get to the point where I can see those summits and it is as if I hear a little "click' inside myself. All that "stuff" is released. I see the beauty of God's creation and I'm struck with the certainty of Christ's holy, sufficient faithfulness and I feel...FREE. It has happened to me everytime I have taken this hike and everytime I get to Round Top I end up with tears in my eyes. Perhaps, in God's kindness, He uses this place to give me a sweet glimpse of heaven? Or....maybe it is just that the altitude gets to me! HA! In any case, I do love this special place!

The boys waited paitently at the top for Mario and I to join them.

Looking back the way we came

And here is Round Top Lake. It is not the most scenic of lakes but the drama of those peaks and the undeniable starkness of the surroundings that speak of the brutally harsh winters here give this place a solemn, almost reverant feel.

The hike up and over the crest toward Winnemucca Lake reveal how harsh the winters must be up here. Even in summer when the wind comes whipping up it can steal your breath.

Winnemucca Lake is not much to look at when you are standing above it but once you get down to the shoreline there are many pretty spots.

Mario tried his hand at a little fishing

And then we headed back to the car. The Winnemucca Trail side of the loop has a long, slopping hillside that is covered in wild flowers. We missed the peak bloom time but it was still pretty, with lots of flowers along the way.

We ended the day with our last trip to Sno-flake for our favorite shakes, soft-served ice cream and beer-battered onion rings.

Tomorrow we are taking the boys para-sailing and perhaps another kayak trip down the Truckee. Until then...be well!

Celebrating Independence Day on the Truckee

"Two hundred and thirty-six years ago, a beleaguered but defiant group of men created the most magnificent declaration of liberty and human rights in history.  It changed the world forever, and ended the heretofore universal model of a permanent ruling class in favor of self-government.  Most scoffed at the grand experiment by these “Americans,” but in the end those men not only changed their own land, they changed the entire world." Ed Morrisey

May God continue to bless our country and may men and women of courage never falter in defending freedom!

This is a different kind of Independence Day for the Cozzi family. Usually we are hosting a big family gathering at our home. I would have been working tirelessly in the back yard for several weeks getting everything ready for the party and been up way too late the night before making the cole slaw, potato salad, desserts and other goodies. But this year we are on vacation in Lake Tahoe. I actually slept in today! We had a leisurly morning hanging around the condo and then in the afternoon we loaded up the cars with the kayaks and headed to the Truckee River.

The Truckee is the only outlet for Lake Tahoe which is the river's source. The river begins at the dam on the northwest side of the lake near Tahoe City. It flows generally northwest through the mountains to Truckee, then turns sharply to the east and flows into Nevada, through Reno and Sparks and along the northern end of the Carson Range. At Fernley it turns north, flowing along the east side of the Pah Rah Range. It empties into the southern end of Pyramid Lake. Each summer thousands of people enjoy the recreation offered by rafting on the Truckee.There is a 3.5 mile bike and walking path that runs along the upper section of the Truckee. And so, on this day, Mario and the boys took the kayaks down the Truckee while Tramp and I enjoyed a long walk along the bike path.

It was a great way to spend the day! We had an all-American dinner of brats sandwiches back at the condo and then the boys and I went to Incline Beach to watch a fantastic display of fireworks.

Thursday we will be taking our last hike before we head home on Sunday. Until then...Be well!

Tired Tuesday

After Monday's monster hike we were all pretty worn out. The boys slept in until almost 11:00 am. Mario took the dogs for a walk while the boys slept and I worked on returning emails, edited some photos and did a couple of loads of laundry. We made the boys a late breakfast/early lunch when they got up and then we decided to take a drive to Kings Beach. We did some window shopping and had dinner at a local Mexian restuarant.

Kings Beach has a fireworks show to celebrate the 4th a day early. So, we found a spot on the beach and pumped up the kayaks. The boys took the kayaks out to get an idea about the size of the cove and where they would be allowed to go once it got dark. They wanted to be able to be out on the water in the kayaks when the fireworks went off; which they did! They said the reverberations of the fireworks off of the water was really something. It was a nice, relaxing day and a wonderful way to get a jump-start on celebrating Independence Day-my third most favorite holiday!

I tried to take a few shots of the fireworks but without a tripod I'm afraid they are really blurry. You do get an idea of the way the fireworks reflect off of the water though.

Tomorrow we are going to celebrate the 4th of July by rafting on the Truckee River and watching the fireworks show at Incline Village. I'm so thankful for the gift or our country and the ideals upon which it was founded. I hope you all have a wonderful holiday. Until then-Be well!

Monday's Mother of All Monster Hikes

Warning-this is going to be a photo-heavy post. Why? Because when you hike country as spectacular as this you just HAVE to include a lot of photos!

We had planned to take one very strenuous hike on this trip. I had wanted to hike to the heart of Desolation Wilderness for several years but either timing, weather or health issues always seemed to get in the way. I was determined that this year would finally be the year that we would do it. Originally we had thought we would take the Bayview Trail to Velma Lakes. That trail is a 10.5 mile out and back hike that takes you to a whole series of alpine lakes. The night before the hike Mario and I were reading the hiking book and began second-guessing both the wisdom and our ability to be able to do this hike as a day trip. Instead we begain thinking about taking the Glen Alpine to Lake Aloha trail; an 11.8 mile hike.

You might wonder why we would think a LONGER hike would be more doable than a shorter hike. So did the boys. Mario and I really didn't have a logical answer to this except to say, "vertical feet." The Bayview  trail has a vertical gain of 2725 feet, the Glen Alpine trail has a vertical gain of 2125 feet. Somehow or other we had convinced ourselves that the extra 600 vertical feet would be more difficult than the extra milage. I'm not sure we convinced the boys nor am I sure that we were correct in our assesment. Regardless of how it might compare to the Bayview trail there is no getting around the fact that the Glen Alpine hike is a very strenuous hike.

Our decision to hike the Glen Alpine trial was confirmed after reading what John Muir had written about it, "From no other valley, as far as I know, may excursions be made in a single day to so many peaks, wild gardens, glacier lakes, glacier meadows, alpine groves and cascades." With that kind of invitation how could we refuse? Of course I had forgotten that the other John Muir hikes I have taken in the past were two of the most physically strenuous I have ever been on. After completing this hike I am utterly convinced that Muir was part mountain goat and must have been inexhaustable!

The adventure of this hike begins before you even reach the trailhead. To get to the trailhead you have to drive around Fallen Leaf Lake on a tiny single lane road that has definately seen better days. If you meet up with a car coming in the opposite direction the only option is to pull over on the very narrowist of pull outs where one wrong move of the wheel could send you tumbling down the side of the mountain into somebody's living room, dock or the lake itself. Thankfully, the road is not heavily traveled.

When you reach the trailhead you can tell a couple of things about the hike. First, the scenery is breathtaking and dramatic and second, this is going to be a challenging hike. The trialhead starts in a valley and everywhere you look there are peaks, peaks and more peaks. The only way forward is up!

Lily Lake is a very pretty lake located right next to the trailhead.

After checking out the lake we took a deep breath and....began the hike!

You might note the "path" we had the "pleasure" of walking along. One of the most difficult aspects of this hike is...the ROCKS. If we weren't walking down dry river beds with sometimes basketball sized boulders we were scrambling across granite shale, glacier scree, and granite erratics. Everywhere we walked there were always rocks, rocks and more rocks. If we were to do this hike again I would definitely recommend heavy-duty hiking boots, NOT the tennis shoes we were wearing and certainly not the deck shoes Anthony was wearing!

Shortly after beginning the hike we encountered our first waterfall. This fall feeds Lily Lake.

After briefly enjoying the falls...it was back to the rocks:

I'm not going to try to put a pretty face on this...the first two and half miles of this hike are not much fun. If you aren't tripping over rocks you are climbing endless switchbacks in open, shrub-covered terrain with the sun beating down on you. I kept thinking, "Okay Mr. Muir these wonders of which you speak better be as good as you say they are!"

Despite my grumbly tone we WERE still smiling. Anthony kept up a running commentary based on some Facebook meme's. They went something like this, "We are hiking Desolation Wilderness, she said." "It will be fun, she said." "Try this new backpack, she said." "It will help distribute the weight, she said." When he got tired of teasing me he would start to sing. I'm telling you have not lived until you are struggling up a steep switchback and Anthony starts to serenade you with his sweet falsetto. HA!!

About a mile up you reach Glen Alpine Springs. The “Soda Spring” was discovered in 1863 by Nathan Gilmore who built the resort in 1884. From the late 1890s through the 1930s, families from San Francisco and Virginia City came to relax in the plush mountain resort and enjoy the “curative” mineral spring water. You can still see some of the old buildings from this abandoned resort and the naturally carbonated water still bubbles.

After the springs it was back to climbing....switchback.....

....after switchback.....

....interspersed here and there with a stand of pines....

....and then....MORE climbing!

We would take "breather breaks" along the way...using humor to keep us going...

The higher we got, the more dramatic the scenery became.

I wasn't too tired to try my hand at some "abstract" photography. These are some more rocks, made pretty because I wasn't walking on them AND a waterfall was running over them!

We finally leveled out a bit and got back under the shelter of some pine trees. We passed several lily-pad filled ponds.

Beyond the ponds the path descends to a junction with the Pacific Crest Trail about 3.5 miles from the trailhead.

And then....we got our first glimpse of Susie Lake.

We walked around the lake and started to climb again toward Heather lake.

Heather Lake is about a mile from Susie Lake.

How lucky can a girl get? My boys are STILL smiling and the scenery was simply overwhelming.

Those snow-capped mountains are called the Crystal Range.

And then....yep, you guessed it....more climbing....more rocks.....

At last, after 6.5 grueling miles we got to our final destination, Lake Aloha. Aloha means "hello," "goodbye," and "love," and "affection." It is the perfect name for this lake. The challenge of reaching it can take you to the end of yourself. It is an other-wordly place; a lake that seems to sit on the very top of the world. One look at this lake and you could fall in love. If it weren't for the breath-stealing wind that whips across the lake you might never want to say goodbye.

We found a sheltered spot and had lunch and, truth be told, collapsed for a good long while!

I was so tired I didn't even walk around to take photos-just tried to take shots "over my knees" while laying flat on the rocks.

I did manage to work up enough energy to tickle Ryan with my toes. I have really grown to care for this young man. He is so sweet-natured and easy-going. I have never heard him complain. I'm so thankful that he was able to take this trip with us.

Just to prove I actually made it-I asked Mario to take a couple of wind-blown photos of me:

I think it would take a more talented photographer than I to really capture the scope of this lake. I didn't have the energy to climb up on some of the higher rocks but the lake stretches on and on until it seems to fall off the very edge of the earth.

Finally, reluctantly we packed up and got ready to hike back...we still had a LONG, six mile hike back to the car!

I took just a few photos on the way back, we had a long way to go ...

This was by far the most difficult hike we have ever undertaken. But it was worth every hard-won step! The memory of what we saw today will live with me always!

Tuesday, is "Tired Tuesday" a day of well-earned rest and relaxation. Until then...be well.

 

 

 

Sit Around Sunday

Sunday was a day of rest and relaxation. No driving, no hiking and no photos! (Well, at least no photos of the boys!) The boys spent the day enjoying all that the condo had to offer. They swam, played tennis and ping pong and later in the day Mario walked with the boys down to the local frisbee golf course and played a couple of rounds of frisbee golf. In the late afternoon Tramp and I drove up to Ophir Creek and hiked the little loop trail that runs through the Ophir Creek Meadow. I had hiked this trail once before. The first time I had hiked the trail it was later in the summer and everything was in bloom. This year there we no blooms yet in sight but still it was a pretty, quiet and tranquil walk.

My faithful companion, Tramp

Here is a peek at what the trail looks like when it is in bloom:

Comparing the same place at different times in a season appeals to my "inner-naturalist." Someday I would love to have the opportunity to spend an entire season here at the lake from early Spring to late Fall. I'd steak out a couple of different trails and plan on hiking them once every week or so. Like nature journalists Edith Holden and Beatrix Potter I would use my photos in the same way that they used their watercolor paintings to document the natural world around me....until then, I can dream...and compare one year's visit with the next.

Monday we plan on going on our longest, most challenging hike of this trip. Until then, be well!

Sightseeing Saturday

Yep, I know it is Tuesday and I'm just now getting around to blogging about our adventures last Saturday but hey, I'm on vacation!

Saturday we decided to do a little bit of sightseeing in the greater Tahoe region. We had an option of heading west toward the American River/Sutter Mill/Placerville area or heading southeast toward Alpine County and the silver mining town of Markleeville. The boys and I had already visted Sutter Mill on a previous trip so we decided to try something new and headed to Markleeville.

We had read that Markleeville was a "quaint" small town founded at the time the Comstock Silver Load was discovered. We were anticipating something along the lines of a litte town like Julian. Well, "little" was the operative word. We ended up feeling a bit like Winnie the Pooh when he visited Rabbit for a spot of honey.....

Rabbit: Would you like condensed milk or honey on your bread?
Pooh: Both! But never mind the bread, please. Just a small helping, if you please.
Rabbit: (giving Pooh a single drop of honey) Here you are (Pooh looks disappointed)
Rabbit: Is, uh, something wrong?
Pooh: Well, I did mean a little larger "small helping."

And with that introduction I present to you Markleeville in all its glory (don't blink-you might miss it!)

And.....that is about all there is to Markleeville. The boys had a great time teasing me about my ability to scope out the really "happening" places in the greater Tahoe area. Heck, who needs Reno when you can have Markleeville?!! Come to find out Alpine County is the least populated county in all of California boasting a whopping population of 1200 people. It is untamed, uncommercilized and uninhabited. (grin)

Mario decided to make friends with the locals:

And then we had lunch at Ali's Cafe. The pulled-pork sandwiches were delish. But, like the town, a bit on the small side.

I got some cute shots of Ryan because, unlike my boys, who have grown weary of my shutterbug ways, Ryan doesn't make goofy faces everytime I point the camera his way!

After lunch we headed over to the general store to get some snacks (I told you the sandwiches were small!). Then, we decided to take a 35 mile drive up Highway 4 (Ebbetts Pass) to Lake Alpine. We shared the road with literally hundreds of bicyclists.

Lake Alpine is right off the highway. The boys loved it because we found a lake that didn't require any hiking!

We took Millie and Tramp with us on this trip. As we were walking along the lake Millie kept getting closer and closer to the water; it was just SO tempting. I told her no a couple of times. But then couldn't resist the pleading in her eyes. Go ahead Millie, you can go in...and away she went!

The wind blowing across the lake was COLD. The boys took shelter huddling together under a tree.

Once we got to the other side of the lake we were protected from the wind. We did a little exploring and played fetch with Millie. SHE was a happy dog!

Millie is a retriever water dog through and through

Tramp likes to "think" he is just like his mom...

.....until that is, his feet no longer touch bottom....

....then he turns tail and runs as fast as he can back to shore!

To recap: Millie, happy in the water, eagerly anticipating the next throw of the stick.....

Tramp, happy to be on dry ground!

After playing at the lake we headed back to the condo by way of the Carson Valley and the west shore of Tahoe.

Sunday is going to be a laid-back day around the condo-swimming, tennis, ping-pong and maybe a late after hike around Ophir Creek meadow. Until then...be well!

 

Freaky Friday-Not So Much!

We had planned that our Friday hike would be one of the more strenuous hikes on this vacation. But, not all eight mile hikes are created equal! Wednesday’s hike to Loch Leven was an eight mile hike that wiped us all out. Today’s hike was also eight miles but it was a breeze! So what’s the difference? It is all in the vertical gain. Wednesday’s hike had a vertical gain of 1710’ today’s hike was a “mere” 800’.

The boys and I had taken this hike once before when we spent a summer with my sister and her family. We remembered it as a moderate hike with a fantastic destination lake. This hike is located in the Carson range which is my all-time favorite area of the Sierras. If I could only hike one area up here, this would be it.

The Emigrant Lake Trail begins at Caples Lake, a man-made reservoir that hosts a small resort. It is a favorite of local fishermen. For the first two miles of the hike you traverse the shoreline of this lake.

We started off at a pretty fast clip. I kept thinking, "But wait, I need to take photos!" I ended up taking this photo on the run, hense the blur.

Once we broke free of the forest the guys slowed down a bit and I was able to get a couple of shots of Lake Caples' shoreline.

At 1.3 miles from the trailhead you reach a juncture where you can either go to Emigrant Lake or to Emigrant Peak. I'm a "lake hiker" not a "summit hiker." Wide open vistas are fine as far as they go but as far as I'm concerned it you aren't "rewarded" with a lake at the end of your hike you might as well not make the effort!

Which way should we go? Mario's sense of direction never fails! HA!

The trail is a fun one. After walking along the lake for much of the way you transition to walking along a stream that feeds that big ole lake. The sound of running water is a constant companion. The one downside to all that water is the fact that this is a VERY "buggy" walk! Insect spray is an absolute imperative if you don't want to get eaten alive.

Before we knew it we had reached our destination. The last time we had hiked to this lake it was later in the season but that winter had been much more snow-heavy than this past winter. I remembered this lake being shrouded in banks of snow with tiny rivlets of water cutting a course through the snow. This time around everything was much more green with just patches of snow found on the far side of the lake.

As has become our tradition we stopped and had lunch once we reached our destination.

You may notice that Tramp is missing from these shots. He was still limping a bit so we decided to leave him at home. I missed having his sweet companionship. There is something about the loyal devotion of a good dog that just makes every good thing just a little bit better. 

Even though the sun is shining in these photos it did get cold! The elevation at this lake is appoximately 9020' and when the wind comes whipping down that snow covered scree and across the lake it does make you shiver. To warm up I took a walk along the lake while the boys finished up their lunch.

The cold got to all of us and so we soon decided to head on back. I always leave these beautiful places with reluctance. I wish I could capture the sounds...and the smell...the crisp, green, snow-tinged purity of these mountain oases. It stirs me in ways that I can't even put words to. It speaks of God's beauty and hints at His holiness. It stirs my soul until it fairly overflows with wordless worship for creator God who "sheds his grace on thee!"

The walk back to the trailhead is an easy one and I found my mind wandering; thinking about some of the things you "learn" when you hike the Sierras. Here, in no particular order are a few of the things I came up with:

1. Sometimes, the harder the trail the more glorious is God's revelation of grace when you reach your destination.

2. Sometimes, even when the trail isn't so hard, God still showers you with the gift of His grace.

3. In either case, the glory of His grace displayed in the gift of creation has the power to nourish your soul.

4. When your chest is tight, you can still push on, when your thighs burn, you can still push on, when your calfs cramp, you can still push on, BUT, when your feet hurt you are pretty much done for! Take care of your feet!

5. Hiking is better when shared with people you love.

6. Any good hike is made better if there is laughter along the way and you have the companionship of a good dog.

7. Physical exhaustion makes you vulnerable to sin. If ever there is an emotional melt-down or a, "you're getting on my nerves" moment on the trail it inevitably happens steps away from the summit or moments before you realize you are almost back at the car!

8. A good hike is not just the destination; it is the journey along the way.

9. The hike back, even if it is all downhill and takes only half the time, still SEEMS like it is twice as long as the hike out.

10. The best hikes ALWAYS end with a reward trip to Sno-flake for an ice cream shake and onion rings!

Saturday we are going sightseeing. Until then, be well!