Yeah, I’m working on my dissertation, and a paper, and Rhinebeck is coming up. I also don’t get chances like this very often. And when I graduate, who knows how often then.

This last weekend, while waiting for yeast to grow in lab to finish off experiments for the resubmission of my paper, I went on a 4 day, 3 night backpacking trip with my parents in VT, up by Stratton Pond. It was excellent.

We set out on Friday.

It got rainy pretty quick. Luckily we have good gear

I have a brandy new tent. REI Quarterdome, and excellently designed. I love it.

The next morning it was raining, so I didn’t get many good photos.

The second evening, by the fog filled pond…

Time to cook dinner! Mmm nom nom. Mom makes the BEST homemade backpacking food. First night was… Chili if I remember.

The next morning was unbelievably gorgeous.

Then, time to head out again, for the longest day…

The foliage and water were amazing.

We did have to bushwhack around a big pond thing created by a beaver dam and windfalls…

This is a bad photo. You might be able to pick out brown lumps from it. If it were NOT a bad photo, you could see three otters. Yes, river otters. They were oh… 20 feet away (two of them) when we walked up to the bridge. They went CHEEP! and sea-serpented (all lithe up and down) through the water up the river, picked up a third otter, slid back down on their backs (like on TV!) and then gallumphed up the hill. I was way the heck to poleaxed to get my photo out before it was really too late.

We passed out of the Lye Brook wilderness, and saw this sign. Understatement of the century.

We got to the campsite just as night was falling.

I pumped water in the dark.

The last day we got up and headed out back towards the car.

Back past the last pond, Stratton if I remember…

Until we were back at the car, and headed home. That night, back to lab! Today, labbity lab lab.

That’s all for now.

~The Gnome