Family Mountain Reunion 2021: The wins

The hikers started their journey around 7a.m.

 There were a lot of wins at this year's mountain reunion of siblings and our children, spouses, niece, and friends, and a few misses that we can work on for next year. No year will be complete--there will always be some awesome serendipitous moments, good planning, fun activities, lots of good memory making, and ideas for change in the future. Every year some will not be able to come due to commitments, but we hope that the more this tradition occurs, the more people will be able to come. The wins this year were many. 

Food

Having buffet style meals where there's something for everyone worked well. Also, preparing good foods ahead, then heating them up in the crockpot saved time and space. We had a pasta bar one night and a chili bar the next. The bars included the main fair: pasta, meat and meatless sauces, meat and veggie chilies, parmesan/cheddar cheeses, salad, and bread. 

For the breakfast bar, we had plenty of cereals, milk, fruit, and yogurt. And, we brought along a basket of lots of healthy snacks including power bars, dark chocolate, rice cakes, and nuts. There were chips and salsa too. For the lunch bar, we had chicken salad, sliced chicken, peanut butter, jelly, fruit, and veggies. 

Essentially we had plenty of easy to serve, easy to eat foods with something for everyone. That worked. 

Lodging

The lodging offered good spaces
to hang out

Almost every year we rent a different house or rooms for this mountain reunion, and almost every year the lodging has a lot, but not everything. This year our lodge was at the backside of a tavern. The good news about that was that we had front row seats to music concerts each night--that was a pleasant surprise. We also were right in the center of a quaint small town which lent itself to good walks and exploration. The house was new, modern, and attractive with comfortable spaces to relax, be together, and sleep. The only missing piece of the rental was that we didn't have a mountain view or substantial yard space for recreation, yet the town green was across the street and that worked for ball games and walking. 

Activities

Good food and lodging help to make people comfortable, but the activities bring us together. The big hike included almost everyone--not everyone made the arduous almost 9-12 hour mountain hike, but some of us were able to do part of the rugged journey. My sister enthusiasticaly coached me up a stair-like mountain path that included some scrambling at the end to get to the ridge. It was about a five-mile round trip loop that definitely tested my limits. My husband, young sons, nieces, brother, brother/sister-in-law, and friends pushed on to reach the mountain summit--the traverse included moments of clear, bright weather, fog, and some rain. Fortunately, for the most part, the weather was much better than anticipated. Other activities included a pick-up game of whiffle ball, walks around the green, visiting local shops, swimming in and exploring the falls, listening to music, talking, writing, reading, and lots of game playing. 

I found many beautiful
spots to linger.

Now that we're nearing the end of this adventurous reunion, we're already making plans for next year's events. We may try to find lodging that everyone can enjoy that's closer together--now we have a number of places spread out through the town. Next year, I'll trade the lively music for a view and more yard space for games though the music was a lot of fun and a good surprise this year.  To put a family reunion like this one together takes a lot of lead time and planning since people live in many places and have a variety of jobs and commitments. Over the years, I'm sure this tradition will change to accommodate our changing family, but I know there are many of us that want to keep it going. Onward.