We finally spotted the Lutheran Moose

... on Long Draw close to State Forest State Park in Northern Colorado. And this is not a post card - we took this picture ourselves! Yes, we chickened out and didn't spend our family retreat at the Lake of the Ozarks in Missouri. A record heat and the ticks changed Chris' mind the night before we left. Instead of braving the heat we took on the cold. Camping in Colorado at over 9000 feet can be winterly even in Summer as we learned. We were surprised how tough our family was and how great the children took the nights in the forties.

Since we were a little late with reservations ;) we had to move between different parks: Pearl Lake, Stagecoach, State Forest and the Inn at Steamboat (to clean up after a week without shower and only an outhouse). By the time it got down to 27 degrees at night, we were able to rent a cabin with a woodburning stove, which was already a big upgrade.

J.J. caught his first trout and prepared it on the camping stove. He mastered fire building and tracking. MeMe had to learn that you can only sleep in a sleeping bag, when you stay in it. Carlotta prepared no-bake cheese cakes, which were a real welcome in our camping kitchen. Lula learned that black bears are not necessarily always snatching children and that it is possible to pack for a camping