Thorofare Trip Day 7

Last day, we woke up to rainy days. It was time to leave. It was a fast four miles to Terrace Point but we got there at 9:24 for a 10:00 pick up. It was a cold, wet wait until the boat came... at 10:07. We were ready. But, though the southeast arm was fairly calm, the open waters were wavy as all heck. It was an AWESOME ride back. My face hurt from smiling so much. 

Of course, after 7 days out hiking with no soap, water, shampoo, etc. the best place to go is someplace fancy. After a quick change in the bathroom of the Bridge Bay took down some of the stench. But we still had fun. As Heidi, Jane, and I walked into the bathroom, a toilet flushed. Jane - "That's a sound we haven't heard for 7 days!" Lady coming out of the stall -- . Me - "Faucets you guys! Hot water! Hey! You guys! Hot water!" Lady-

I don't know that I'll ever find camping "fun," this was definitely the experience of a lifetime.

Thorofare Trip Day 6

What does the fashionable camp-onista look like? Maybe not this, but who cares?

 Awoke at 5:13 this morning from a dream about a dog running loose and me chasing it to Heidi whispering, "Do you hear that?" Because that's not terrifying. Apparently she had heard a noise like horses going over a bridge and thought nothing of it until she realized there wasn't a bridge near us. Or horses. It was an animal working on the outhouse, trying to either get in (even though there's already a good-sized hole) or eat the wood. So she grabbed my headlamp and ran toward (!) the noise. She only caught a glimpse of the animal and thought it was either a badger or a porcupine. But we both went back to sleep.
By 7, everyone was awake and either on the porch or in the cabin. We all watched as little yellow birds (with a splash of orange on the belly) flitted through the pine trees and willows. They were really too fast to get a good glimpse or picture though Jane eventually got a few.
A hearty breakfast of Mountain House Granola with Blueberries (made with hot water per Jane's suggestion) got me set for the morning as the other veg group set off to collect aquatic plants and Jeff took his fishing gear to hit the river for awhile.
Heidi, Jane and I sat on the tree stumps surrounding the fire ring and watched the yellow birds some more. On the ground, I noticed a brown body with a darker brown tail. It turned out to be a weasel! He kept getting closer, and closer to us, but then would duck into his warren (or is that just for rabbits?) He was good for about 45 minutes of entertainment.

Hard to see in this picture

Easier to see in the video

 I went into the cabin to get changed. Heidi went down to the creek and Jane was still watching the weasel. I had just come out, didn't even have my shoes on all the way, when Heidi started yelling, "Jane! Jane!" So once again, we went running down toward the creek. Heidi had heard scratching and looked up to see a porcupine in a tree! We got ourselves organized, found some nearby logs, and settled in for some porcupine watching.

Where are you porcupines?

No porcupines here either

  After about 30 minutes, we gave up hope. Heidi and I separately did some yoga while Jane tried to get photos of some squirrels and chipmunks.

Chipmunk and Jane in a stare down

 Eventually Jeff came back and we got in a couple more games of Farkel. This time outside.

 The other veg group came back and we all sort of separated doing various things like making dinner or just chatting. Until Monica came running into camp and gasped, "Moose." That woman has the best animal spotting skills! We couldn't find Heidi but the rest of us went running up the hill. Irene was especially excited because that was the only animal she had wanted to see on the whole trip. At first, we were disappointed not to see anything. But then, I asked Jane if she could take a picture of a particularly dark spot in the willows.

Can you see the moose?

 You can't see the zoom on her camera, but when the picture popped up on screen, there was a moose! How fabulous is that?

How about if I point it out?

Back at the cabin, breaking into the grapefruit beer

Thorofare Trip Day 5

Started out early with lots of scritching and scratching in the walls. Most of it was mice but there was one very loud fella, for about 45 minutes around 2am, that was either the Godfather of all mice or a pack rat. Ew.

We finally got ready to go, cleaned up the cabin (even double-mopped, and packed out some improperly stored food) and started on our trek. the rain from last night and a low-lying mist combined for a wet start. 

I was well soaked by the end of the first mile. But we made excellent time. Only 1 1/2 hours to our lunch spot from Saturday. Light packs and fewer stops for flower pics had us hitting our designated camp spot at 1:45.

 This is the view from the sunny side, the other side had some brooding rain clouds that convinced us it would be better to hike the last 4 miles that night and be able to spend time in a cabin rather than huddling in our tents.
I won't lie. My feet HURT. And the blister on my pinky toe felt like it was on fire. But Heidi hiked in the back with me and conversation made the hike seem faster. We paused one more time (it ended up being less than 10 minutes from our cabin, but we needed it) and saw our first non-Parkies of the trip. Three folks, two men and a woman, had hiked all of their gear in from 9-mile to go fishing. When the woman found out we had boated in and shaved off almost double-digit miles, her look didn't bode well for her male companions.
We made it to Cabin Creek Cabin around 4:20 (nearly 8 hours of hiking with at least 40 lbs. I am woman, hear me roar. If you can hear it over the sound of my feet screaming...) We got the tents almost completely set up (there was another veg crew that was slated to be in the cabin) but stopped to eat Junior Mints, watch the clouds, and do some hip/lower back releases.
Then Eric, Monica, and Irene came down and we all stood talking for awhile until dinner.
After everyone was fed, we sat staggered on the front steps of the cabin chatting some more and just generally being lazy. Monica went down to the creek to wash her dishes, came back, and very calmly announced, "There's a bear down there."
Jane grabbed her camera and went running. Monica yelled, "Maybe you should take some bear spray!" and the rest of us took off as well.
I don't know if it was 7 people running toward the bear or if it was chasing a snowshoe hare, but all I saw was the glimpse of a brown snout and a black butt galumphing out into the willows.
I was a little worried about the bear but actually fell asleep pretty darn quickly anyway.

A different snowshoe

Bats

Totally inadequate representation of our sunset

Pretty sure this was accidental, but included it anyway

Thorofare Trip Day 4

What does one wear in early morning camp? Well... here you go!

 My feet were tired, blistered, and sore, and we were going to be staying in the same place for the night, so I begged off the day hike. Instead, I stayed at the Thorofare Ranger Station and cleaned the mouse poop off the mattresses, Then swept, did some yoga, and meditated. Then I remembered my stories of Bob Flather in the back country and spent some time... sunbathing. I also took a whole bunch of pictures of the inside, took everything off the shelves and took photos of items that might be of interest for the library/archives/museum. Also, I took a bunch of pictures inside and outside the Ranger Station. I also took the EMS kit down and checked it out. Most of the meds expired in 2003. The one that didn't? Expired in 1988. Woo hoo.
I also washed my clothes and some dishes and worked on cleaning up and padding my blisters.
Heidi, Jane, and Jeff got back around 3, much earlier than their estimated 6pm. So I hiked out with them to two little ponds, just about 3 miles round trip. Only one aquatic plant but we did get back to the cabin just before the rain hit. So that was good.

A Poem
Oh what to drink in the backcountry?
Where the creeks flow free, clear, and wild?
Mountain fresh water? Oh no, no sir.
We need something less mild.
Vanilla Chai and Sweet & Spice Tea
Enough caffeine for you and for me
Pumpkin Lattes to drink at the dawn
Whiskey Manhattans packed in with elan,
Vodka-laced tang to go down with a bang,
Double-fisting is best when you're out in the West.

Thorofare Trip Day 3

 An early rise had us on the trail just after 7. 45 minutes and 2 miles later, we were off trail, trying to find the game trail that had been suggested to us as a way to go.

 I can now definitively say that I do NOT like bushwhacking. Not a bit. We were trying to get up to the top of Trident, but weather and '88 tree region conspired against us. I can't say I wasn't grateful. I was bruised, scratched, tired, and sore. And so ready to just soak my feet in the creek. Not what we had hoped but I was okay with it. Even grateful.

An unknown plant

That's where we came from

Heidi had just said, "I don't want any pictures." So, I, of course, did this.

A boudoir picture. Just because

First day pic of the scratches. The bruises came in later

Everybody loves to end the day with Farkle!