Teenager Dinking with the Old Man on Ruby Arm

'OK this trip up Ruby Arm is getting to me, I just can't sit here and do nothing on the ride back to the cabin, the girls are back at the cabin and I can't mess with them.  Dad's probably thinking about that problem for work.  How much scenery do we have to see? Is there any food left?  Bacon! Bacon I want Baaacccooonnn!!!!

"Hey look it's water, how cold is it, how wet is it, do we have any water balloons to throw at Mackenzie or Dana, can I catch a leaf, hey maybe I can catch a fish barehanded, whoa the Old Man just moved his leg! He's awake - a target"

"I feel better already - look the Old Man is bursting from ear to ear with a smile.What should I come up with to mess with those girls?"

"Food, food, I need fooooooooooood!"


"I gotta think up something - those girls have been sitting back at the cabin thinking about how they can mess with me this whole time, they don't know how smart I am. I am Austin Powers of the Ruby Arm! Girls liked him!"


"Baaaacccoooooooonnnnnnnnn......................"

Ruby Creek Art

Photos © Paul Anderson

Andy Goldsworthy has inspired many people to create art outdoors that has little or no impact on the environment but helps satiate the creative drive we all have.

Good friend Jerry Wilbour (as a younger man Jerry spent months living and camping in this part of the North Cascades building and maintaining trails) and I, his son Curran, and my son Dyan headed out to do some exploring, to build a cairn.

At the head of the Ruby Arm, just upstream from where the creek enters the lake, backpackers, day hikers, kayakers and boaters have created a small gallery of cairns that have but a brief existence. Wind, fall and winter rains, snow, spring floods and gravity will soon remove all trace of these masterpieces.

We spent a couple of hours on this morning relaxing and spending time with the boys. Just guys out building stuff and dinking around.

Family Camping on Ross Lake

Lucy, Chris and Lucas on the shuttle home.

Frank , son Lucas, friend Mark and his son Chris recently camped for three days on Ross Lake.

Frank and his wife, when kids were only a gleam in their eyes, had enjoyed canoeing trips on Ross Lake, but like many young families they had to put off some activities and trips after Lucas and his sister were born until the kids were old enough to appreciate the mystique of wild places.

Friend Mark has spent many nights on Ross Lake as a scoutmaster leading trips for numerous scouts and their dads.

This was Lucas' first trip camping at Ross and for Frank's family, I predict that a great family tradition has started.

Frank said it best, "Mark recommended that we motor up to Lightning Creek. We had an amazing three days of fishing, swimming, light hiking, adventuring down the creeks and climbing the waterfalls. Without a doubt, my son's favorite activity was swimming off the dock and fishing. The little fry minnows nibbled us from head to toe."

"It was great."

"I look forward to bringing my wife and five year old daughter up there next year."

Good job Dads!