missing this walk

Life during the first week of school for the Tall Short Person and Koda Bear plus add in a holiday weekend and it has just been a bit busy!  I needed some quiet this last weekend so instead of writing in this space, I took a nap and worked on a blanket.  That was very much where my head was.  And my body did not like coming back to the heat and humidity.  Skating is much easier then walking but even hours of that can hurt.  I have much to do in the next six weeks and I am just going to take it a small bit at a time.

I do have to say, I miss the walk we took.  After hiking so much in the Rocky National Park, we decided we really needed to do more in our own "backyard."  Or at least our mountain backyard.  The Tall Short Person found the Chain Lake Trail in the Mount Baker Wilderness.  Even though she and Blue were not with us, we decided to take a walk.

The hike is a circle of lakes near the Mount Baker visitor center.  It is about eight miles in length and 1700 feet in elevation.  We started at the visitor center and went clockwise around it.  We got the worst of the uphill done first!  The views of Mount Baker and Mount Shuskan were fabulous.

There were two very primitive campgrounds on the walk with pit toilets.  We had lunch the one near Mazama Lake, at the campground there.  It was lovely.  And Koda Bear could touch the water and I was not worried because it did not have the drop off I am used to with mountain lakes.  For example, Iceberg Lake which we passed.

It was a good day.  I enjoyed the trees a lot.  I did hang back from the boyos for awhile in the beginning.  Just until they got their hiking legs under them.  I hike differently.  Tortoise like.  Much more of a walk.  Take a moment to look at mountains, trees, lakes.  I do not talk much when I walk.  I do need a bear bell and I am looking at buying walking sticks.  They will probaby be high tech poles but that is okay.  Being able to break down to my backpack is a good thing.

After the crazy business of the last week and a half, I am ready for another walk.  I had thought I might get to Salida, Colorado this weekend for a fiber fair but it is not going to happen.  To close to this last trip and I have a truck cabin to build before the middle of October.  I am supposed to be purchasing lumber for it today.  

I am at least going to make a start.  Dream about mountains and autumn a bit.  Dream about going for a walk.

Idyllwild

Koda Bear was promised camping.  We went to Idyllwild, California and stayed in a state park there.  The other campground we had stayed in Mount San Jacinto State Park was closed for winter.  I was pleasantly surprised on how nice it was.  Especially since the campground was two blocks from "downtown" Idyllwild.  It is a very small town.  Population of 1500 without day visitors or tourists.

We got there and set up the tent.  When we got there, it was not too late but we were all tired.  Koda Bear had fallen asleep in the car.  We just crawled into bed.

The next morning was chilly.  But there was tea and oatmeal.  The day warmed up quickly.  We lucked upon a festival for kids where all the fire departments in the area were presenting.  Koda Bear thought that was great.  He dressed as a fireman and did the obstacle course.  Played games and colored.  Sat in a fire truck.  I am not sure how impressed he was with the fire truck because it was green and small.  He has sat in a red larger fire truck in Lehi, Utah.  He still talks about Lehi, Utah.

We took the day fairly slowly.  We spent almost two hours in a playground.  There was a bakery snack.  The skateboards came out.  Fallen leaves, pine cones, acorns, and pine needles were collected to make slop.  It is from a Gerald and Piggie book.  S'mores were made after dinner over a small fire.  I controlled the fire because the boyos would have made a bonfire and we would have been up all night.

The next day, we hiked up to Suicide Rock.  And back.  12.5 miles in total because we started at the campground.  Koda Bear did really well.  I did have to pull him up at times but he ran all the way down.  The last half mile his feet were coming out from under him though.  Another bakery visit seemed to help that.  

The hike was longer then I expected because the map does not take into account all the distance.  The internet description of distance is better.  I thought the internet description of moderate was a good description of the hike.  Which I felt was more of a walk.  But other people were making it out to be much more difficult.  And we were told it was a difficult hike.  It made me feel like when a nurse in the past has told me something will hurt a bit.  No, that means it will hurt a lot! 

To me, this was not a difficult hike.  It went up!  It went down!  It was long.  It was very pretty.  I was told it would have been better if there had been a bakery at the top.  

After the hike, camp was broken down and Koda Bear was taken back to the Tall Short Person.  There was school Monday morning.  But it was so good to see him.  He is very missed.