Imogene Lake

Ya'll know what a bucket list is, right? It's the list you make of things you want to do before you "kick the bucket". Well, I had never cared to go backpacking, so it wasn't my bucket list - but Brayden wanted Ira and I to go to Imogene Lake with him (since he had gone a couple years ago with relatives). So a couple years ago, I decided I better add this backpacking trip to Imogene Lake, with Brayden, to my bucket list. Well, this year was the year. It had started out as a trip with Ira, Brayden and I. Long story, but Ira ended up not being able to go because of the scouts high adventure trip being rescheduled at the same time. SO...I was booted out of the trip. But the high adventure trip was also changed from it's previous location to Imogene. AND, my relatives (sister, brother in law, nieces, nephews), were all going to Imogene. So I tagged along with them. It so happened that the relative trip was during the same week as the scout trip. The relatives were hiking out as the scouts were hiking in. So Brayden came with me with the relatives, then he stayed there with the his dad and the scouts.

Me and my approximately 32 lb pack. I wasn't sure I was going to make it the 9 miles in - but miracles do happen!

Our whole group on a day hike to the hidden lakes. It was so beautiful - waterfall after waterfall leading to one beautiful lake after another.
Brayden and I

My sister Kelli and their family. Her husband, Derrick was the leader of our pack. He is an avid backpacker, and had to tell us first timers how it's done. Good thing he was there to pack our bags the right way, and give us a light-weight menu, and throw our rope over the tree to hang our food so the bears and chipmunks wouldn't eat it. I'm just glad he was nice enough to let us crash on his party.
My niece and nephew - Tiana and Nathan.
Kelli's family again.
My nephew Travis and his wife, Brittany.
The backpacking girlies.
Kelli and Derrick
Tiana can't take a single picture without pulling some face. So we saw what she did with this one, and we just had to...
take this one!
Skyler, Derrick & Travis
Teenage cousins.
My sis and I
The girlies again...by the waterfall. We're holding the pine branches our fearless leader cut for us to swipe the mosquitos away.
Did I mention the mosquitos? This is Brayden and Tiana
Another of the beautiful waterfalls on our way through the hidden lakes.
Me and my buddy boy, Brayden. I'm so glad he was my inspiration to go on this trip. If he hadn't told me I HAD to go to this place, I would have never had this breathtaking experience (breathtaking in more than one way!).

On Wednesday we headed out, and the scouts headed in. I wished Ira and I could have had this trip together - but I'm glad we each got to experience it, and experience it with our son.
Ira and Brayden (far left) with the scouts.

They swam out to this little island in the lake. And that water was C.O.L.D!