August 1st PItchstone Plateau

Steve mentioned at breakfast that he would be more inclined to drive to the other end rather than try to find the trail and clamber over dead fall. We might get the same number of miles im but it would be more like 1.3 to get put and then 5.5 with our backpacks on versus the 11.1. Then we could day hike and explore the plateau in more comfort.
However.  The path was hot. H. O. T. And when we got to the campsite, there was a dark cloud and eventually thunder. So we all got in our tents and hung out for a couple of hours. It was actually quite lovely. Then we did get up on the plateau. It was basically low key bushwhacking which is not a favorite of mine. Then back to camp for dinner and popping into the tent because, even with the breezes and fewer trees, the mosquitoes weren't pleasant

PItchstone Plateau July 31st

Another 8ish mile day. Steve, Heidi, and Robin all wanted to go to Union Falls which would be a 13 mile round-trip hike with the last mile or so being like "walking through sand." No thank you. Karen and I decided to scout out the path for tomorrow instead. And it ended up being a good thing because it was not well marked nor well cleared for the first few miles. It looks like there were some fires maybe 10ish years ago and thr trail markers hadn't been replaced. There were a lot of times we would just sort of walk around until we found a cut log signaling that it had been a cleared path at some point. We just went to the second stream crossing but it was enough. The way back was remarkably easier to see and what too about 1 1/2 hours to get to took about an hour to get back.
We hung out at camp for awhile, filtered some water, but the mosquitoes were once again hideous so we decided to head back toward Cascade Acres to hang out and see if we could find a part off Heidi's Camelback. The part was found and we lazed. Karen got in the water for awhile. I just dunked my shirt and then read on the beach.
We got to see three otters playing and then headed back to our campsite that Heidi said is about elevation 7,021. The mosquitoes were disgusting once again so I was in the tent by 8.

Pitchstone Plateau July 30th

The morning drive was spectacular but foggy. It hasn't been cool at night lately so it was thick in many places.
Heidi and I were early so we tootled down to the South Entrance and back up to the Pitchstone Plateau trailhead. Luckily, Steve was there to meet us even though it was more than an hour early. So we dropped the truck off and went to find the other end of our hike. It took some doing because it was supposed to start behind the corrals and we only barely saw the trail markers. So we parked Steve's truck and set out across the swamp to the markers.  We got there and there was a lot of dead fall.  A lot. A Lot. Steve and Heidi quickly made the decision not to go any further because it would be about 6 or 7 miles before we got to the connecting trail that should be better. Then came the dilemma of how to let Robin and Karen know since there is no cell service. We ended up finding a pull out where we waited about 45 minutes  and flagged them down.  We made the decision to head in via Grassy Lake Road which would cut off a big part of our in hike but would probably mean that we would have time to take a side trip (without backpacks!) to a nearby falls.
We made it to the parking lot and ate lunch then headed off. Less than 2 miles later, we were at our campsite. Surprise! That definitely left enough time for a side trip so off we went. After deciding to go slightly NE to see if we could find the falls that way, it was turning into a lot of bushwhacking so we turned around and did the stream crossing. Well, two of them. Sort of an uphill hike to get to Cascade Acres but well worth the 6 miles we ended up hiking total.
Back to 9F2 which was hideous.  Late July and it was wet so the mosquitoes were out in force. There was a cloud that followed anyone outside a tent. Even duplicate rounds of Off barely kept them away. I went to bed early but didn't end up sleeping well. Kept waking up for no reason.

Bechler Day 3

Woke up around 5 and couldn't get back to sleep so I read until Trudy woke up around 7. 

There had been rain off and on during the night so I thought it might be wet out and when we opened the tent door, there were two little icicles hanging off the bottom. But when Trudy opened the rain fly, it was dry. Apparently, our body heat had generated condensation which then froze.

We decided to wait for a while and let our stuff dry since most of it was still damp. We finally hit the trail a little after 10 with mostly blue skies ahead but some darkish clouds dotting the sky. We made it to the slough fairly quickly and I had my water shoes on so I de-pantsed and waded in. It was muddy from yesterday's rain so it was quite exciting to wonder whether the next step might be into a hole. There weren't any. So we pantsed back up and headed on.

We had each made a prediction when the stock group we met yesterday might pass us. Trudy predicted at the junction and I predicted about a half mile beyond. They caught up with us just as we were about at the junction but they were just getting off for lunch. We also decided to pause.

Bechler Day 2

I actually slept pretty well but we still didn't get moving until almost 8. It didn't help that the overcast clouds made it seem later than it was. We did hit the trail at 10 and about two miles in saw some loose horses. We had made it to the stock site, 9A2.  The people were friendly and they hit the trail soon after we passed them because they passed us as we were drying our feet at the nearby stream crossing.
It sprinkled off and on as we made our way up the hill toward Dunanda. We opted to take the lower trail that runs through 9A3. We grabbed a quick lunch and the changed into our bathing suits and headed for the hot springs. And was it ever beautiful. After about an hour and a half of floating, it started to thunder so we decided that it might be good to head back.
About 1/3 of the way down the trail, it started to rain. Now, I had made the fatal error of believing the forecast of 30% chance of rain and not brought a rain jacket. I have learned this is not wise in the past but somehow I forgot. So I was pretty well soaked through. But I did stop by the horse camp to drop off the sunglasses that had been left at Dunanda. The owner was pretty darn excited to have them back.
When we got back to camp, it was still raining, so Trudy and I crawled into the tent to read for awhile. We got out for a quick dinner and then drifted off to sleep

First day in Bechler

I picked Trudy up a little after 8 and we were off -- over Dunraven (the Norris road was closed) and then Canyon and out through Madison. We stopped in West for coffee, whiskey, and sandwiches from Eddie's Deli. The BLT was $11 but there was a LOT of "B" so it worked.

Thank God Trudy remembered how to get to Bechler because the signage is horrible. After about 11 miles down a gravel road, we got to the parking lot. And So... many... cars. Good Lord. The last time I came down. I remember a few cars on the day we went in and only one other on our way out. Today, the lot was full. Thank god I have a mall car or we would have been waiting around for the two tours that had just come out (about 10 eating a picnic lunch and another 10 or so getting off a horse ride). 

We checked in with the backcountry office and were on our way.

The whole time we had been talking about this trip, Heidi and Trudy had been warning me about the slough crossing and the subsequent bog. We forgot it has been a very dry fall and the slough crossing was barely above my knees and the bog was completely dried out.

We knew we were about 4/5 of the way there so we stopped for a whiskey break. It was delightful. 

We continued on to 9A1 and set up camp and filtered water. We had our permit checked by a young ranger who wanted to make sure we weren't up to any tomfoolery. Then dinner and just waiting for an appropriate time to turn in.

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!