Raingutter Regatta

Pack 1592's annual Raingutter Regatta.  Minecraft has been all the rage this year and it's cool to see the boats pickup the themes from what's in pop culture at the time.

Ethan, Tyler, Jimmie, Wyatt and Nate ready at their first station.

Take the water gun and shoot the ducks to the other side of the pond, while your competition does the same.  

Wyatt has been learning from the SWAT team and was putting his tactical skills to use.

Jimmy and his boat

Tried a different style boat this year.  He had a blast.

In this station, they had to carry a leaky bucket of water, to a larger bucket and fill it in a relay race.

Fairly easy to run back with the empty bucket

Wyatt having a hard time with the leaky bucket.

Nate's boat almost to the finish line.

Alyssa joined us for the second time.  Laughed pretty good when one of the scout leaders asked her who her brother was.  She had the best expression on her face as she struggled to answer.

The sponge throw is a popular station, I decided to ham it up a bit and tease the kids from behind my protection.

Tug o war was great too.  The adults dropped the rope once, but otherwise it was a close race.

Nate and his boat won first place for the fastest boat.  He won by a few hundredths of a second.

Nate went with an Angry Bird themed boat.  This one was a real winner.

The event ends with a huge water balloon fight.  Here's our ammunition being prepped for the fight.  

Yosemite

Took the family back to Yosemite for a great weekend of camping

Nate had a blast exploring the woods and rivers.  

What would camping be without friends and wine

My goal on this trip, which was created after our previous trip, was to hike HalfDome.  Here are my hiking buddies Mike and Natalie as we made our way up the Mist trail

It was late enough in the summer that the water on the trail was barely flowing, but still makes for some great photos.

A selfie with the river we follow on the way up to lower yosemite valley

Natalie and I at the top of Vernal falls on the Mist trail 

Vernal falls here is where I want to take Nate on my next trip.  I think he can make it up this far without too much trouble.

We continue on the mist trail, cross the footbridge on our way to Nevada Falls

Behind me is Vernal falls and the mist trail, from which we came.

That's me with Nevada falls in the background.  Get to the top there and we're almost halfway to HalfDome.  

Almost there now.  You can see our destination off in the distance.  

As you get closer to Quarterdome and halfdome, you get some spectacular views of Little Yosemite valley.

View from the top of quarterdome, just have the final climb, the cables and we'll be at the top of HalfDome

Panoramic, from quarterdome.  You can see the cables on the right and to the left is all of Little Yosemite Valley, where the backpackers start their hike from.

The pictures just don't the steepness justice.

From the top of Halfdome, looking out on the valley floor.  No water flowing from Yosemite falls this time of year, but still spectacular views.  You can see El Capitan in the background.

Selfie from the top, with the valley floor behind me.

Lots of photos taken from this spot, often called the Diving board.located 3,500 ft above the valley floor, jutting out in front of more famous face of Haldome.

With the valley floor behind us, it makes for some of the most spectacular photos.

Natalie and I getting out Yoga on, from the top of Half Dome.  Of course I was trying to photo bomb, but I did my pose a little too good for it to work.

Pictures just don't do it justice as to how steep this section is.  Although the really bothersome part was not the steepness, but the slow people and crowds as people freak out.  

Glad they have permits limiting the # of people that can climb.  It was tough getting stuck behind large groups now, can't imagine how much worse without permits

Natalie and I hiked up to the base of Yosemite falls.  NO water flowing.

Since there was no water, we could get right tot he base and swim and play in the water and rocks at the base of the falls.

This photo taken from a unique view.  Natalie was at the base of the falls looking back and up at me.  

Natalie copying my 4th of July photo bomb.  The one constant is Lilia at the center of it all.