One Last Hike

That "saddle" is our destination

My boot which has been duct taped the last 4 weeks (and which I have used sparingly) made it!

The view from the other side of the saddle.

 

Coming back down.

 

More Scenes from My Summer

 

I've only camped one night here this summer.  This is a mile walk away so I didn't have to bring any food or anything.  I didn't sleep very well, but it certainly is beautiful.

This is a 30-40 minute walk up to a view.  I've packed a breakfast and ate it up here a few times. I'd like to do that again the day before I leave.

These last three photos was on, what I would say was both the most difficult and most rewarding hike here.  Similar length (11 miles) to other hikes I've done here, but with the climb of 3000 feet up and back down, my "brake" muscles in my knees were not properly functioning at the end.

Our feet got quite wet from the dew near the top, so we attempted to dry out our shoes and socks while we had lunch.  I forgot my camera this day, so I didn't get these photos until my co-worker/friend who came with sent them to me.

Two More Weeks

                                                            Where I spent my summer

 

Where I go when I need to cool off (at one point it was upper thigh deep in that little pool on the edge, it continues to get more shallow).  

Fireweed

My boot started coming apart 2 weeks ago.  Last week I hiked in my running shoes, but missed my boots.  So yesterday I duct taped it. It worked.

Random Gratitudes from the Retreat Center

 #1 - My Sunday soccer team hasn't had an official goalie for a couple years.  We had a guy who sometimes played with us, but he got injured a while back.  Someone else is organizing the team while I'm gone, however a woman I met who subbed as goalie for us a couple times has agreed to actually join the team next session.  I'm happy to have a goalie, however even happier, that it is a woman, because 95%+ of the goalies in my co-ed league are men!

#2 - I've been doing 6:30AM 2 mile "poetry" hikes here on Mondays.  I stop a few times to read poems.  I recruit people to come at the Sunday afternoon hike haus "open house" and today it seemed like there were a lot of people that plan to join tomorrow.  I really like doing the hikes then before the flies and the heat.

#3 - I was accidently assigned dish team twice in a week here, so I had a shift both yesterday and today.  Usually you get one shift a week here. It was a mistake though and it's fine, especially since it was lunch shift so you can just do it during work.  If it was an extra dinner shift my day would get a little longer.

#4 - Last night was the first night here I had a bit of trouble sleeping because of the heat.  When it's been hot here, it usually still cools off plenty at night.  Last night I ended up propping my door open with the trash can to get a little air flow in here because it was so still outside.  The lack of wind though is good for not feeding the forest fires.

#5 - I almost forgot about the 6pm yoga class today. Yoga here is at such strange times 6-6:30pm, for example, which isn't ideal since dinner is 4:45-6:15, but I'm grateful I looked at the schedule the last minute and remembered.