Hello all! TeamHovis is experimenting with a new vacation style this year. The “Coach working vacation”. One of the many advantages of officing at home is you’re prepared to office out of any home with enough notice. While Coach will not be putting in the full weekly work-load, he is going to try and keep up. The new group Coach recently joined was gracious enough to honor his trip plans prior to his onboarding, so TeamHovis wants to keep all the work working while away from the workplace for non-work. So to speak.

Day 1 was a huge success. All work accomplished. All fun accomplished.

The TreeHouse where we’re staying is tucked away in the Cascade Mountains. Mt Baker is right out of our door and the Nooksack River is just over the hill. The little cabin community has a playground, pool, sports courts, and a cool clubhouse with ping-pong, etc. Coach is always looking for value in the places they stay – ask sometime about our strategy for staying in rental homes on the cheap. Plenty of fun for the family while Coach is busy.  The kiddos took full advantage of the amenities! Gman is carving up every stick he can find with his new pocket knife, PJ is dancing in circles, and Em is trying to keep everyone on the right track. Strong coffee, Fruit Loops, and banana bread broke the morning fast and everyone was off and running.

In the afternoon, we headed into the town of Glacier just down the road to visit with the Park and Forest rangers about hikes in the area. Looks like we now have some options for the week. After visiting with the rangers we headed up Hwy 542 into the Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest which abuts the North Cascades National Park. What a view!

We wanted to get the lay of the land so we drove up to Nooksack Falls. A beautiful split falls with multiple cascades into a deep canyon. Another fork of the Nooksack River joins up right at the base of the falls with its own not-too-shabby waterfall nearly landing in the same pool.

The kiddos enjoyed climbing the rocks and trees while the Coaching staff stared at the hypnotic water. It was also a brisk 45 degrees down by the falls thanks to the huge trees and mist.

On to our hike!

A few miles back toward our cabin we pulled off the road and geared up for the Horseshoe Bend Hike along the North Fork of the Nooksack River. It was a splendid walk in the woods. The blue-hued glacial water flowing off the mountains was beautiful and the fern undergrowth felt like we were in some Tolkien elven wood.

The pacific northwest is like no place else on earth.

The eeriest part of the hike was how quiet the woods got when you moved away from the river just the slightest distance. The ferns and vegetation absorb all the sound. What a quiet place to walk and know you’re small. LadyCoach and Coach spent some time thanking God for our many blessings, especially our family. The kiddos gifted us the whole hike with joy and care for one another. While not unusual, their behavior was not the norm. The hike was a rare gift.

The last thrill was on the way back. Coach did some bouldering out to the middle of the river in order to get some perspective at the foot of the giant snow-capped mountains. Mission Accomplished.

Compared with the intense purity and cordiality and beauty of Nature, the most delicate refinements and cultures of civilization are gross barbarisms.

John Muir