Date of Trip June 20th – 22nd, 2008
2nd Annual Camping Trip
Thanks to the organizing efforts of our friends, the reservations, cooking, and food worked great. We are so fortunate to spend a weekend a year sharing an outdoor experience. Our group of 15 made for some exciting times.
Crazy Weather and No Bears!
The weather worsened as we headed to Jackson Lake. Dark skies, high winds, tumble weeds rolling, and hail. We even spent about 20 minutes under a bridge hiding from the hail in hopes to prevent hail damage. When we arrived, the huge lake was white-capped from the wind. Reports of tornadoes were in the area. On the bright side, the may fly type bugs weren’t swarming, yet. Also, no bears to contend with at Jackson Lake! After analyzing a burrito that was accidently left out the next night, we decided few scavengers were living in the area.
Campsites
We occupied Lakeside sites 58, 60, and 62. Of these sites, 62 was our favorite due to the row of trees for shade and the closeness to the bath house. Coin operated showers were nice after swimming.
Beach Day
The second day the weather was beautiful. The highlight of Jackson Lake is the South beach. The huge cottonwood trees tower over the beach giving protection from the sun. Plenty of frogs and snails kept the kids busy. We brought life vests for the kids expecting deeper water at the beach. With high water levels, the beach area didn’t get any deeper than about 4 ft. Canoe rides, on our friend’s canoe, around the beach and into an inlet East of the beach were really neat. Dogs aren’t allowed on the beach, so you may need to plan ahead. The short walk in camping sites near the secluded North beach looked really fun. The North beach didn’t look as sheltered from the sun as the South beach. Since one toiletry bag was left under a laundry basket at home, it was nice to be able to go to the Marina at the park to pick up a toothbrush and even a contact lens case and solution.
