The Log Slide

Taiwan son missed out on this hike last year, and after hearing our rave reviews of how spectacular the view is and how no one dared to risk the descent and subsequent climb back up, he insisted we go back to the Log Slide, but this time he was going down to the water and climbing back up. Try as he might, none of us would agree to run down the dune. There are warning signs stating the dune is 500 feet high and there is a 20 foot drop off at the bottom. haha...one of the sign states that it takes only 2 minutes to run down, but can take an hour, or more, to climb back up and if you have any medical conditions....don't do it! I'm not going down there. Well, I would, but I wouldn't climb back up. I would walk the 10 miles up the beach to camp. But not Taiwan son, oh no, he insisted he was climbing the dune and challenged every male in the group to join him. In the end, it was the two youngest boys who braved the climb with their uncle. We told them they were on their own, if they went down they had to climb back up, that if they got stuck, none of us were coming down to help. Understand? Got it! Good, we'll wait for you at the top.

The view really is beautiful from up here. There was a heckuva wind blowing off the lake and it was whipping sand up the dune into our eyes and stinging our skin. Rough day up here. But the gauntlet had been dropped and we were here to witness the agony of the climb.

Scoping out the climb. Yep, that's a long way down. Taiwan son is still unfazed. Oldest son isn't having any part in this lunacy and he says as much...repeatedly. Sir K, however, has agreed to the descent and return climb with his uncle...and now Sir S has agreed as well. The warning is repeated regarding the difficulty of the climb and once more they are emphatically told, "we're not coming to help!" No problem, they're sure they can handle it. The rest of us have settled in to the dunes to watch.

And they're off, leaping and bounding down the sand as they laugh and shout to each other. Sir S on the left, Uncle in the middle and Sir K on the right. It takes them less than a minute to get to the bottom, including the drop off.

Taiwan son is in the water attempting to rinse sand from his hair and eyes, the boys are simply dots on the beach. And then the climb back up commences. Good luck boys. Sir S gives out within 2 minutes and Taiwan son loads him onto his back like a monkey. This should be interesting. It's difficult enough without the extra load. I head for a viewing platform to try to get pictures of their climb, but I find I can't get a view of them at all.

 

I did get this killer shot of the shoreline. By the time I got back to the log slide, all three are back at the top. What? How long was the climb? Ha, it took them just over 11 minutes to climb back up, and that was with a monkey on the back for half the climb. So much for the warning signs. Still, I'm not going down there. I would prefer to see the view from the top.

Okay, okay, they get bragging rights. Congrats guys!

You know how there are signs in parks always telling you not to feed the animals? Well, how can you not feed something this adorable and cute. They know they're cute too and they use that to get you to toss them just a crumb...then a piece...then they get your lunch. We're suckers for the chipmunks and these were our after hike/during lunch entertainment.

"Please," he says, "just a little piece, like this."

With feigned surprise he says, "for me? This is for me?" Begger! Scammer.

"Yeah, I'm just gonna push it over here a little...just a little closer to this log." And then his friends came out to eat as well. They have a whole system worked out. I know they do.

More to come...