Hope's first backpacking trip - into Emigrant Wilderness

Hope and John went backpacking with the Schneiders and two of Kevin's friends into Emigrant Wilderness. It was Hope's first backpacking trip, and she had a wonderful time, as did the rest of us. The uphill sections were a bit of a challenge, but we learned that Stan's storytelling helped the miles fly by. We camped for two nights next to "Chewing Gum Lake," where we went swimming and exploring. The meadows of wildflowers were amazing. Here are a few of the photos. Enjoy!

Picnic on Angel Island

Today Hope, Becky and John rode the ferry from Tiburon to Angel Island, where we rode our bikes around the island and had a picnic. We enjoyed beautiful views of San Francisco and the Golden Gate bridge.

Ben Graduates from High School

Ben graduated from Menlo-Atherton High School today. Congratulations, Ben!

Ben's Golf

Ben wrapped up his high school golf career earlier this month.
At the California Central Coast Section (CCS) Regional tournament, Ben led his team to a second place finish with a 2-over-par 73. Ben's individual score was 4th of the 84 golfers that day. Ben's high school team finished the season with a 12-0 record in league play, and a 14-1 overall record. At the La Quinta High School Championships, the team finished 7th of the 35 teams who participated from throughout the western states.

Spring Break - hang'n with Shamu

For spring break this year, Ben headed to Indio (by Palm Springs) for a golf tournament with his high school team, while Becky, Hope and I went to visit Mickey, Shamu, and some great friends in southern California. As you can see, we had a great time!

Berry Creek Falls

It had been a while since I put on my backpack, so I packed up and headed to Big Basin State Park for a 12 mile, 2 day trip. The waterfalls were going fairly well, although they were not quite as strong as I had expected. I guess the key is to go soon after a big rainstorm, not a week or two later. Still, the trip was beautiful, and was a great "escape" from the daily job-hunting efforts.

Picnic at the Park

On Saturday, Hope and her daddy rode their bikes to the park for a picnic and some play time. Hope saw four of her friends there, and she enjoyed playing with a couple of them. The picture shows Hope on the "zip" line.