This post has nothing to do with the Sierra, ha!

[Buck Forester]

It's no secret I got married a couple of years ago, had a kid (my wife is preggers with another) and I can count on both thumbs how many times I've been to the wilderness since then. I keep thinking I'll get out more again but then "responsibility" gets in the way. Oh man, in some ways I miss those days of living out of a garage with my dogs and heading to the wilds every weekend. But I wouldn't trade... well, maybe some days I would, ha ha!

Anyway, I recently did a photo assignment for an inflight magazine (Singapore Airlines) which profiled San Francisco. So I spent a couple of days shooting stuff they wanted from S.F. and I got the magazine in the mail today. Here's a link to a Yellowstone-related forum where I posted the photos (I used to hang out there quite a bit but I don't spend much time online anymore and I'm too lazy to repost them here).

If you want to see boring S.F. images of sidewalk cafes, food items, Victorian houses, and trollies, click here http://www.riot-zone.com/wwwboard/messages/6941.htm the rest of the images are below the airliner shot. But if I were you I'd skip the link and look at all the wonderful wilderness pics already posted here, of which I'm insanely jealous but very appreciative because AT LEAST SOME OF YOU ARE GETTING OUT INTO THE WILDERNESS, ha ha! I live my adventures through your cameras. People used to tell me that until I said "I do" and had babies and houses and cars and a real job and being the sole provider, etc., etc. Am I whining? YOU BETCHA!

[Timberline]

Hey, Buck!
Your lamentations touch my heart. What can I say? Been there, done that, yeah?! If you'll accept some unsolicited advisory remarks (and you know what those are worth. . .), let me say it's OK on the other side, too.

I've raised three kids all the way thru college and seen them blossom and prosper into remarkable adults pursuing their own passions. Hell, my wife and I spent three days at Rae Lakes and 60 Lakes Basin (bless her trusting soul) as part of our honeymoon, so who am I to complain? I can't regret the choices I made way back when, even tho the easy weekenders to the high country ceased and became long awaited, desperately needed wilderness sojourns. I found that my style changed from frequent, short campouts to extended expeditions, usually with a base camp somewhere, but the quality of the experience never diminished. Eventually, I got to introduce my kids to those adventures, and discovered a whole other side to it. Lots of stories there. I kept the early memories and added new ones.

So, you just added another quality dimension to it all. Yeah, its all right, go ahead and whine (I still do sometimes) but remember that the wilderness is now deep within you, too. I know this, 'cause I've seen your photos, and they are wonderful. Thanks for sharing those precious moments of your own with the rest of us, and keep on truckin'!

[Windwalker]

Congrats on the publishication there Buckster, that's awesome!

Get ya some cushy car camping gear and take the fam campin' ...it's the next best thing....honest. My wife and daughter require running water and flushy toilets, boys don't care any tree will do.

Going for little hikes while car camping and exploring the surrounding area is a great place to start. Then there's that whole smore thing too.

When Gabriel Michael is big enough to BP with you...it's going to Rock!


My son Josh in the Golden Trout Wilderness


My kids Nathan, Josh and Katie my soon to be daughter in-law on Whitney.


My son Nathan coming down from Forester Pass.

[mountainLight]

I can relate Buck. I have two girls 6 and 4 and we just had our third a boy last month. Finding time to get away to the mountains was hard enough but now with an infant this year will include fewer trips. My wife knows how much I love it and lets me squeeze in a few trips, she is very generous. We try to go camping every year even when the kids are small. We also hike around the bay area as much as possible. It isn't the Sierra but it is great experience for the kids. My 4 year old asks me all the time, "daddy when are we going to go hiking again". I love to hear that.

I also found that finding other people that love the outdoors that have kids helps. It gives my wife someone to hang out with while we go out, and when the kids grow up it will let our families do it together.

This year I am planning to take my oldest on her first backpacking trip . I can't wait! I can't do all the trips I want right now but I know that I will have some great backpacking partners for years to come.



Instill that love of the Sierra when they are young. That's what I was raised on.

[Sierra Maclure]

Buck: Just wait til you're out there with your kids and you're teaching them to catch that light like you do so well. My kids' first bkpk trip was to 1000 Is. Lk when they were 6 & 8, although now I think that was too far for the 6-yr old.
Wish I knew how to post a pix within the text here or I would. Now I've got a 25 year old lesbian daughter with a mohawk who's picture on myspace is of her hoola hooping topless on the roof of her truck on the rim of the Columbia Gorge. Now THAT'S a picture. Like Forest Gump's Mom said: "Life's like a box of chocolates. You never know what you're gonna get."[/img][/url][/code]

[Sierra Maclure]

Maybe this will show us with Banner & Ritter in the bkgnd.

If nothing else here's the link with the kids making faces at 10,000 ft.:
http://sierramaclure.smugmug.com/galler ... 8/Original
We'll see how this posting works.
[/img]

[Sierra Maclure]

Well, if someone could clue me in on how to post pix within the message I'd appreciate it. I promise I won't put any more bad pix up from the 80's when I didn't even know you had to have sun on people's faces. Gads.

[Rosabella]

SM - check the "Technical Problems and Questions" Forum. there's a thread that will help you - "How to Post Photos and Where To Store Them":

viewtopic.php?t=165

Rosie

[Hikin Mike]

Congrats Buck! My wife and I started our kids when they were about 18 months old. I will say though, my oldest had here first camping trip at 7 days old in our in-law's motor home!

This was from Henry Coe from 2002...

Sarah (~18 months)


Hannah (4)


"The Family"

[Sierra Maclure]

Hmmm. Let's see if I can post a pix within text. Here goes:

Shooting Stars:

Thanks Rosie.
Happy Tgiving to all!