Hurricane Haylie: February 2012

Upon Tom's return and the mad search for a job, we never really took the time out for just the three of us. My brain was beyond the point of overwhelmed and the stress was starting to effect our family unity. A 911-vacation call became mandatory. The vacations that practically plan themselves are the ones that we love. Normally we would have taken our 5 day weekend and gone to the Oregon Coast, our favorite place to escape. But there were no cabin or yurt rentals and the weather was looking to be nasty. With a limited budget (no Hawaii) and being that it is winter, there is only so much you can do for a vacation. Our family doesn't enjoy sitting at one of those fancy indoor resorts or being stuck in a hotel. We are all about the adventure.... This winter escape led us to exploring the natural hot springs in North Idaho. With a little research I located a lodge in Powell Idaho that had individual cabins for rent. The Locsha Lodge is nestled in a very secluded part of the Clearwater National Forest. The lodge offers a great base for a variety of winter activities. Snowmobiling being the most popular, but you could snowshoe, cross country ski, sled, watch the snow fall, enjoy the abundant wildlife, and hike into the natural hot springs. The fist day we hiked into the Jerry Johnson Hot Springs and enjoyed a very pleasant soak. Haylie was fascinated with the fact that we were sitting in hot water with a cold creek running next to us and snow on the ground. Back at the cabin we roasted marshmallows on a Stump Stove and reveled in the silence of the great outdoors. The last day we attempted to hike into the Stanley Hot Springs. It was a climb!!! After 1 1/2 miles of climbing straight up and with the uncertainty if we were even on the right trail, we decided to turn around and sled back down the hill. Maybe another adventure will take us to that hot spring. On our way home we took the long route and traveled through some very unique and beautiful country. One of my favorite pass times is to dream with my husband. As we pass all the beautiful ranches and remote cabins, we love to envision living there and how we would set it up. Silly huh..?? Okay enough from me and on with the pictures.