Heavenly Albion Basin

Everyone and their dog should make it up to Albion Basin in the next week or two. Well not your dog, because it's watershed, but everyone local NEEDS TO GO.

E and I have been making the annual trek pretty much our entire dating lives. One of my favorite early dating photos (we were both only 18!) was taking on the wildflower covered mountainside.

James knows this hike well and remembered most of it from when we went last year.

 He is an amazing little hiker, never complaining or slowing down. He just goes goes goes!

Juliet, however, is totally happy to be carried. And she is big. And heavy. E was really hoping she'd want to walk, but after she asked to be picked up for the umpteenth time, we decided to at least put her in the pack. Nice photo, right? This is what I get when I ask them to smile.

How did I get so lucky to be this guy's Mama? Really, I have no idea. Plus, he still prefers calling me "mama" above Mommy and Mom. Thank goodness. It's like one last tiny bit of his babyhood that's hanging on.

Cecret Lake is beautiful. Clear blue and tucked right up against the steep high mountains. The lake is filled with salamanders. Like thousands. We watched them for awhile, threw a few rocks, and the kids played happily looking for "salamander boats" which are just sticks.

Sometimes I see pretty light and ask for a photo. Almost always this is what I get. Ha!

At least he followed it up with a goofy and adorable routine.

Mr. Blue Eyes.

The reason I insist on Albion Basin right now is that the wildflowers are at their peek. Meadows full of white and red and yellow. Creeks with bluebells spilling over their edges. So many flowers, so much immense beauty.

Near the end of the hike when the sun was low I grabbed Juliet from the pack and looked for some beautiful spots. Really, they were not hard to find. The bluebells are just magical. I pretended that they were little fairy showers as a girl. Juliet was entranced.

The orangey sunset light was really spectacular. I told Juliet I saw a fairy and pointed, and this is the shot I got. I just love it. Caught in a childhood dream.

Not a fairy, just a butterfly!

We finished our hike and used the campsite for a picnic location. E brought his BBQ and we made blue cheese burgers and corn. And, if possible, the light got more orange and everything looked more magical. Indian's Paintbrush are always the most ruby red.

Lots of smoke in the air making the sun a huge orange orb.

Fantastic night at my favorite spot. Albion Basin, I adore you.

See last year's post (and this one that may be my favorite post ever!) and the year before that (Juliet is a cherub!)