Hut, Hut...HIKE!

I'm sure all of you have your own end-of-winter rituals:  pulling out capri pants, dusting off the blinds, getting a pedicure.  Sure, I do those things, too...but if you're a Hurli-Janti, then as sure as the Vernal Equinox you get geared up for (what has become) our Annual Hut Trip!

This year we tried our luck for a second time at the Continental Divide Cabin.  The first time was in 2009, and it was quite a trek.  A few highlights from that fateful venture:

1.  I worked Thursday night before we left Friday morning.  I had hoped to sleep en route, but...
2.  Tanner screamed the entire 2 hour drive to the trail head, and once hiking screamed nearly the entire hike.  Awesome.
3.  The interstates and highways were closing behind us (whew!  We just beat 'em!) due to blizzard conditions.
4.  The aforementioned blizzard conditions.
5.  1 + 2 + 3 + 4 = horrible driving conditions, a cranky momma, and a hike in from H-E-double-hockeys.  (There were tears, 'nuf said).

That was then, this is now:

T & Em are ready to hike!

Elle sits tight, waiting to be loaded in the backpack

Bluebird skies...BEAUTIFUL day for a hike!
No blizzard this year!

An easy drive up the hill (John and I debated over which of the guardrails we nearly met up-close-and-personal in 2009) and lots of sunshine made for a great start to our weekend.  It might look like it's chilly outside (I can see how you might think that, given the layers on the kids and myself), but the reality is that Jeff was much more appropriately dressed (and I don't like to give Jeff props, so you KNOW I'm tellin' the truth :) 

There was no need for sleeves! 
We all discovered that for ourselves soon enough :)

Another thing you should take note of is that Tanner is HIKING in, not riding the sled in (the original plan - Jeff is pulling Gabe in a sled in the above picture).  Since her friend, Emma, was going to hike in, Tanner decided to huff it, too (it's not like last year's 2(ish) mile hike - this was less than 1 mile and not much elevation gain).  John stayed close by just in case she changed her mind, but if you've met her, you know she's determined! :)

Taking a half-way-point-ish break at a "silly" swing. 
Granola bars made good fuel for the rest of the hike!

Honestly, I couldn't believe she actually hiked the whole way in.  Her only "break" was when Jess skied her down the last hill, just before the cabin, because Jess couldn't go down the slope slow enough behind her (the Jantos' cross-country skied in, we snowshoed in).  Jess swooped Tanner up, came careening down the hill, and landed them in a snowbank to get stopped (amid lots of giggles :) 

Once we got our packs unloaded, we had to take care of business:

"Business" being celebratory, kick-off beverages - one of John's brews!

Yes, I'm holding my baby AAAAND drinking a beer.
Stop judging.


You might be thinking that the Mommas are out playing in the sun while the big kids are inside napping from their hike in.  You would be WRONG.  The kids were fired up and ready to play in the snow!



The snowcaves were pre-built - don't think we hiked in
and then worked hard to dig forts! :)



Emma strikes a pose like nobody's business.

Gabe decides he needs some snow nutrition.  Mmmm....

Tanner decides to take a dip in the snow. 
OK, maybe she didn't decide, but the snow-gods decided she needed a dip :)
Good thing Emma was there to help her out -
we were all still enjoying our beverages on the deck :):):)

John decided to get out with the kiddos and play....with his camera :)  This is what I'd like to call the Hurli-Jantos model-shoot section:

If only they were wearing designer duds, AE would be knockin' at our doors.  Patooie for cheap parents who shop on Craigslist! (but those are some stylin' pics, eh? :) 

Later in the afternoon, the Schramm's arrived (Nate, Mary, and their 11 month old cutie-pa-tootie, Finley :)  Ellery had an instant friend (thank goodness, because the other three already know how to be besties! :)

Ellery, meet Finley.

...and teach her how to be a princess.

...and then go sweep the floors.

We hauled in the group dinner for Friday night - yummy pasta, homemade sauce, salad, and garlic bread (along with enough snacks to last a week!  And wine...of course wine :)  After we finally got the kiddos fed, settled, and to bed, we played a new game the Schramm's taught us called "Speed Scrabble."  It is definitely a new fave!  (we all got tired of John winning EVERY round, so I'll have some stiff competition at home....grrrr.... :)

Saturday morning we woke rested (or...not so rested, depending on your kid) to the smell of French press coffee and egg sandwiches - Thank You Janti!  Then we spent the day maxin' and relaxin' at the hut, again enjoying the sunshine-mixed-with-snow beauty that only the Colorado mountains can provide.

Ellery & Finely playing in the coffee pot (hey, ya gotta make do when
you're roughin' it!) while Mary sunbathes in a tank and capris.
Snowsuits and summer-wear - great combo! :)

Nate & Finley catchin' some Vitamin D.

Ellery shows her flirty side.

 While some played on the deck, others played in the snow:

A tandem ride down a homemade slope -
lots of smiles!

Jess & Emma check the slope of the hill.
This looks like another one of those AE shots, if you ask me.

 

Gabe hauls in the sled after a tough day at the office.
(This picture makes me laugh.  Maybe you have to know Gabe :)

 After we saw the big kids do a few runs, we decided Ellery might like a go at it:



We thought wrong.
Or maybe it was my wreck at the end.

 

Maybe with Daddy?
There were still tears, but at least he didn't wreck!

Best thing about being 1 is that emotions are fleeting.
Seconds later, lots of smiles with Daddy :)

Saturday night, Finley helped Nate & Mary make some delicioso fajitas:

Say CHEEEEESE!
(I think she's done this before :)

While dinner was being made, we opened the cabin door, gated off the deck stairs, and let the kids play outside:

Yes, she has on short sleeves.  It was 80 degrees inside our cabin and
not-as-cold-as-it-looks outside.  Believe it or not, she did NOT get frostbite.  :)

Ellery's model pose. 
HAM DAWG!

Cute sisters hangin' on the rails.
I love this pic!

Gabe joins in the scenery gazing.

Once again, after dinner, games and drinks prevailed (Nate & Mary brought margaritas to accompany their fajitas - good choice!  And Mary made homemade oreos for dessert...yummmmm...), and we all slept with full bellies and warm hearts (did I say slept WELL?  Matter of perception, I suppose...both nights had their kid-sleeping issues (or should I say LACK OF SLEEPING issues! :)

On Sunday, we celebrated our last morning by eating some faboo "real" oatmeal (real in my house, 'cuz around here we only eat oatmeal from a packet!  The Jantos' make that "real" stuff...:), played in the snow, packed up, and hiked out.  The hike out was as wonderful as the hike in - blue skies, moderate temps - and this time Gabe AND Tanner hiked out while Emma cross-country skiied, making the loads alot lighter (now, how to teach Ellery to hike in the snow....:)  However, 3-year-old trailblazers sacrifice alot of efficiency! :)  As John reminded me, it's not the destination, but the journey - and hearing Gabe & Tanner get excited over each and every blue diamond along the trail (marked with blue diamonds) was worth it (OK, maybe not EVERY time...but it was mostly cute :) 

As we knew we would, we had a great time with great friends - and made some new friends in the process.  Could there be a better way to say "So Long" to Old Man Winter?!?!?!?!?!

Thanks to the Janti & the Schramm's for a fun weekend!
We loved it!

Sure there is - we're trading snow for sand and heading to the beach! :)  Mimi & Dandy, here we come!!!  Be ready!!!  (seriously, be ready).