First of all, I know what you're thinking. You're thinking, "Hey, what happened to July's camping trip?" The answer is food poisoning is what happened to July's camping trip. My friends and I had planned a big 5 day backpacking trip out in the Cascades, but when the morning we were supposed leaved finally came, I got the sudden impression that it would be far more prudent for me to spend the day lying on my couch with a bucket in arm's reach, than setting out on a grand adventure.
The problem was that since it was already the last weekend of July, I only had a couple days to rationalize how my goal was still in tact. Here is what I came up with. A.) This was completely beyond my control. I didn't just slack off and not go. I had something planned, but was unexpectedly incapacitated. B.) I had just spent the previous weekend on a road-trip to Yellowstone and on that trip, I spent the first night sleeping in my car in the mountains of Montana. And, C.) I would go twice in August to doubly make up for it.
So, here it is, the first of my two camping trips in August.
No, that isn't a gravel parking lot by the side of the road. It's Mt.
Shuksan from the Chain Lakes trail at the top of the Mt. Baker Hwy. But, just so you all know, there are no campsites available at Douglas Fir or Silver Fir Campgrounds when you show up after dusk on a sunny Friday.
One of the Galena Chain Lakes. We had lunch here. We toyed around with the idea of going swimming, but you're up at a pretty high elevation here, so it was a tad chilly for swimming.
Mt. Baker peeking out from behind a cloud.
They talked romantically about us kids waking up early in the morning to get the chores done before going to school. I also remember us kids not being upset that we didn't live on a farm so that we didn't have to wake up at 4 in the morning to milk cows.
Well, it only took them a few decades, but they're finally in their place and I couldn't be happier for them.
Congratulations, Mom and Dad.
Our perfect campsite. My car suffered only superficial damage getting to where we parked.
Christian chilling out in the hammock.
There was a perfect breeze coming across the lake for Mikey's kite.
Hope and Laney chilling out on the bridge...
while Christian dangles helplessly. He would survive.
Lacey contemplating the mysteries of the universe in an open flame.
Somewhere, away from the main crowd, a medieval fair apparently broke out, complete with minstrels.
Theresa, bracing for the elements on a gray Northwest morning.
Christian, bracing for the elements in his own way. 
No, that isn't a gravel parking lot by the side of the road. It's Mt. Shuksan from the Chain Lakes trail at the top of the Mt. Baker Hwy. But, just so you all know, there are no campsites available at Douglas Fir or Silver Fir Campgrounds when you show up after dusk on a sunny Friday.
One of the Galena Chain Lakes. We had lunch here. We toyed around with the idea of going swimming, but you're up at a pretty high elevation here, so it was a tad chilly for swimming.
Mt. Baker peeking out from behind a cloud.
