Varvel Family: Indian Creek Camping: 4th of July Weekend

At first I was really disappointed that all of our 4th of July traditions were canceled. But after spending five days in the mountains away from the news, people, and social media, I realized it was just what I needed! We had a great time camping up Indian Creek.

Mark went up and found a spot and got the trailer all set up on Tuesday night. I headed up on Wednesday morning. I had a goal to get one scrapbook layout done for each day we were there, and I did it! It's fun scrapbooking in the trailer!

Our campsite along the creek.

This was our view out our trailer door. I deer walked right through here one evening.

Mark made a friend!

On Wednesday we relaxed at camp, scrapbooked, read, and took a short evening hike up North Indian Creek.
On Thursday we explored a new trail. We went part way up South Indian Creek to the Driveway Canyon turnoff. It was an awesome trail. You climb for awhile, and then come through the trees to this amazing meadow. Once you cross through the meadow, the trail overlooks Alpine, Wyoming. You can take the trail all the way down to Alpine, but we only went part way down, then turned around and headed back.

The Driveway Canyon trail.

It was so pretty and green, and still had lots of flowers.

The amazing meadow. The pictures don't do it justice. It went quite a ways to the left.

This was on the other side of the meadow. We were about to recognize where we were, because once we rounded the corner behind Mark, we could see down the canyon to Alpine.

The view of Alpine.

We explored a little side trail for a while.

Going back through the meadow.

Mason and Bailey got there Thursday evening, so we took a short walk up South Indian Creek, and then had dinner and sat around the campfire.

Our walk up South Indian Creek.

S'mores!

Friday we got up and took a hike up Spring run to the old cabin. Bailey and Mason had never been on that trail, and I wanted to get a little bit more familiar with it, since I'd be running down it for PUTS.

Pretty flowers!

They are the cutest!

We're pretty cute too! 😜

Wildflowers are my favorite!

We made it to the cabin!

The meadow at the cabin.

Sound of music moment!

Heading back down!

Awe, a cute little bouquet!

Livin' on the edge!

I love this trail! Hiking it made me excited for PUTS.

After our hike, we relaxed around camp. I did more scrapbooking, Mark napped in his hammock, and Mason and Bailey set up their hammock, and played lots of games in the trailer. Steph came up that evening to camp with us, because she was doing our 4th of July Bear Creek Hot-springs run with us the next day. We had a yummy dutch oven dinner, and sat around the fire watching the big moon come up.

These two love their hammock!

Yummy ham and potatoes in the dutch oven.

Yum!

Endless games in the trailer!

On Saturday, the 4th of July, we ran to the Bear Creek Hot Springs. It's been on my bucket list since we did part of the trail last spring. I loved it! I love the trail, because there isn't a lot of big elevation (until right before you climb up to the spring), there are a TON of creek crossings, which are fun, the valley is gorgeous, and who doesn't love a good hot spring. The mosquitos were fine until we made the final climb to the hot spring, and then they got CRAZY! It was insane! As long as we kept moving at a decent pace, they weren't too bad, but the climb up was slow going, so they swarmed us pretty bad.