Summer in Paradise

Russell and I threw together some very last minute plans and took a float plane into a remote lake in the Kenai Mountains to stay in a Forest Service cabin. The lake is very appropriately named, Upper Paradise, and our weather cooperated with the lake's name as well. Our spirits were only hampered by about 30,000 mosquitoes also enjoying the early melt and unseasonably warm summer. Up to this point my children's skin had never felt DEET - even in Central America. When weighing the evils of 20-30 mosquito bites that already existed on Liam's face and neck with DEET, I suddently couldn't recall why 20% DEET was a bad thing and began to use it without restraint.

We enjoyed a pair of loons on our lake and explored the numerous beaver lodges and their ponds. We spotted Dall sheep and mountain goats high above us on the peaks around the lake, a moose browsing the willow, had a porcupine living under the cabin, and saw a black bear swimming in the lake. He was definitively larger than the beavers we had seen earlier.

While the setting of the cabin on the lake was gorgeous and idyllic, we had to retreat from Upper Paradise every day to escape its mosquito ambassadors. A short paddle on the lake and a little quarter mile hike through the brush dropped us out onto a massive gravel bar. An abandoned braid of the Snow River kept us all entertained with throwing rocks, gathering rocks, hiking, playing in the sand, seeking out animal tracks like bear and wolf, admiring the stupendous peaks around us, and soaking in the sun without bugs.

Russell, the kids, and I all agreed it was a successful last minute trip and then some.

Happy Summer everyone!













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