...the cabin at Kelly Lake

The Hufford girls at the trailhead on our way to the cabin.

Mrs. Huffy on the trail to the cabin toting a full backpack and towing a sled full of gear.

Laura hiking along the edge of Kelly Lake on her way to the cabin.

The cabin at Kelly Lake.

The cabin's heat source.  It kept things plenty warm.  I had lots of fun adjusting things for maximum warmth and wood burning duration throughout our stay.

We had a birthday party while we were at the cabin.

The birthday cupcake.  One of those candles would not extinguish.  Very funny.

Laura helps Emily add up her score during a rowdy game of Phase 10.

We all had fun playing the game.

The bunk area of the cabin.

Emily climbs the ladder to her bunk at bed time.

We brought a Coleman lantern to use as a source of light during our stay.  We used an entire tank of fuel as the darkness is pervasive this time of year.

The view of the cabin in the early morning.

Emily and Mrs. Huffy play Bananagrams as the sun comes up outside.

Big Head Todd and the Monsters provided the early morning musical entertainment from a cell phone.

The gear sled loaded, bungeed, and ready to go back to the truck.  It was easier to hike than it was to ski due the minimal snow coverage.  So, the skis got to ride on the sled.

Laura blazes the trail back to the truck with a loaded pack and gear sled.

The public use cabin at Kelly Lake is maintained by the Kenai National Wildlife Refuge.  We have visited it several times during our hikes on Seven Lakes Trail which passes by its front door.  Last summer we were looking around and said, "We should rent this sometime."  The next day we called the KNWR Headquarters and reserved our date.  At $45 a night it is a great bargain.  It's also kid friendly as the hike to the cabin is on a well established and level trail.

So,  on Saturday morning we loaded our packs and sleds with everything we would need for a birthday party and a night at the cabin.  Upon our arrival we started a fire to warm the place up and began to think about dinner. Afterward we played Phase 10 and Bananagrams, and told ghost stories before going sleep for over nine hours!

When we finally woke up Mrs. Huffy and Gabby took off for a hike following the trail to the turn-off to Hidden Lake while the rest us us stayed behind and lounged about the cabin.  Upon Mrs. Huffy's return we packed things up and left the cabin around 11:15 AM.  We had a great time and we know that we will return to...the cabin at Kelly Lake.