Life of Wry

That is beautiful Echo Lake. Upper Echo, specifically–the smaller and more intimate lake on the western side of the  narrow, winding channel that separates upper from lower.  Lower Echo is also gorgeous, but is bigger, deeper, colder, windier and wavier.

We arrived by 11:30am at the Ricker dock. I motored in with Peter, his friend Daniel, and all the stuff, aboard the Chalet boat, and Jim hiked the 2.5 miles. While the cabins along both lakes are inaccessible by car, the trail–actually the famed Pacific Crest Trail–is well-marked and easily traveled.  It takes 45 minutes to get to the Ricker cabin.

Our time was brief this year–only two days–so there was no time to waste if relaxing and kayaking and reading and dozing and cooking and talking and eating and hiking and drinking and laughing and political discoursing were to be had.

Susan and I immediately toasted with a glass of it’s-not-too-early-in-the-day chardonnay.  Wheee!  The boys went right for the kayaks–yellow boat and life vest for Daniel, red boat and life vest for Peter.  Both easy to see on the blue water with the dark green shoreline.

We tried to restrain ourselves from political conversation because Rick had not yet arrived (we were not successful). Finally, around 4:00, the taxi dropped him off…

… and it was then time for some of this (note, Susan’s unparalleled guacamole, something I look forward to every year):

Even more colorful conversation ensued.

Susan and Ricker had dinner duty this first night–here’s Jim flipping burgers on the deck.. shot from inside the kitchen:

and here’s Susan’s amazing peach cobbler:

Peter and Daniel even cleaned up–a first for Peter, who I don’t believe has ever washed dishes (or been out by himself on a lake in a kayak, either… such the privileges of turning thirteen).  This time, I’m on the outside, looking in.

Peter and Daniel then went back out on the lake for a sunset kayak:

But returned before this:

They played some kind of card game up in the loft, while we talked (but didn’t solve our country’s problems), then set up the bags on the deck and everyone went to sleep pretty early.