A Snapshot and The Scoop: Kaleidoscope, An East Coast Epic Story

Other than monarchs, I have never seen butterflies congregate in groups like the one pictured above until I visited Great Smoky Mountains National Park this last summer. Some kind of swallowtail, the beautiful black and blue wings of this butterfly caught my eye as they fluttered slowly while resting in the grass near several pull-outs in the park. I can hardly be blamed for thinking of fairy circles and little dances, though this photo was taken mid-morning instead of at midnight. I took far too many pictures of these groups of butterflies (called a kaleidoscope!) during the short time I spent at the park, but I am definitely not sorry.

A Snapshot and The Scoop: Fire Scars, An East Coast Epic Story

Just over three years ago now Great Smoky Mountains National Park made national headlines as the country watched it burn. A fire started by a couple of idiot kids high on a mountain top burned thousands of acres, hundreds of buildings, leveled part of the park's eastern gateway town, and killed 14 people. My visit this past summer revealed a forest in the midst of healing. Some of the trails affected by the fire are still closed, and some of the charred skeletons of trees still stand, but the forest is regrowing, the burned areas fully green with smaller shrubs and grasses flourishing in the fire scars. I didn't have the time to get out and hike the area, but from afar the forest looked like it was making a comeback in the way only a forest can. Next time I'll get out among the trees and see how far the earth has healed.

A Snapshot and The Scoop: Bear-Jam, An East Coast Epic Story

Countless cars stopped right on the road, people hanging out of their windows, some even out of their vehicles; if you've ever been in a national park, you know this sight very well, and you know exactly what it means: Animal Sighting. Now, don't get me wrong, I love a good animal sighting just as much as the next person. I may not get super excited about deer or elk anymore but I acknowledge there are people who've never seen one in person and I don't begrudge them their enthusiasm. I know there's nothing to do in these situations than to just sit back and be patient, turn the music up, and wait for the line to move. Yes, people really should use the pull-outs designed to keep traffic flowing around stopped vehicles, but those pull-outs are designed for only a handful of cars, not the multitude that travel park roads daily, and an animal sighting is going to cause a back-up regardless. The picture above was a traffic jam caused by a bear sighting off to the left in a grassy field. Unfortunately I arrived too late to see it, but I had to deal with the after effects as visitors returned to their cars. I would like it to be known, though, that no matter how excited you may be for a wildlife sighting it is never a good idea to leave your vehicle, especially if said wildlife is something that could seriously injure you (like a bear!). I managed to spot five bears during my short visit to Great Smoky Mountains National Park, but didn't get a single clear photo of any one of them. Next time, perhaps!

Happy Birthday National Park System!

Celebrate. Can you believe the National Park System is older than any of us? It's 101 years old! America's Best Idea has a lot to celebrate, and I want to take a moment to look at my favorite national parks while I look forward to the future of the parks system. Here I've listed out my favorite national parks, in no particular order, with a little description of each park and why it is one of my favorites. Enjoy!

Rocky Mountain National Park, CO
Who doesn't love towering mountains, tumbling waterfalls, lush evergreen forests smattered with aspen groves, A-list wildlife, and hot campfires under a cool night sky filled with stars? If you don't, you're wrong. But you don't have to take my word for it, just ask one of the million other visitors who seek out the mountains during the peak season of June through September. Why do I love this park, though? The sweeping mountain vistas are always amazing, both the main road, Trail Ridge Road, and the secondary dirt road called Fall River Road are well worth the drive, and any of the short hikes and established campgrounds in the park should be on your list to visit, but the real reason I love this park are the long hikes. There is nothing quite like summiting a mountain after gaining thousands of feet in elevation, or touching one of the few remaining glaciers in the lower 48, or passing by places to camp in the backcountry where you know you're in bear country. Yes, this place is amazing.

Canyonlands National Park, Island in the Sky District, UT
Grand views are the name of the game at this park, and you truly feel like you're in the sky as you stare down thousand foot cliffs to the next tier, then another thousand feet below that to the rivers. The Colorao River and the Green River cut Canyonlands into three sections, or Districts, and the Island in the Sky District is where you go if you want to see beyond the horizon. Up there you can glimpse the White Rim Road, views of the rivers, and use the plateau as a jumping point for any of the numerous trails down into the lower reaches of the park. This district of the park is all about the views for me, and if you visit at the right time you can find solitude as you perch on the edge of a cliff, watching a thunderstorm roll across the canyons below, contemplating life.

Canyonlands National Park, Needles District, UT
Yes, Canyonlands gets two spots on my list, because each District of the park is uniquely different. The Needles District is all about exploring. To really get a feel for this park you need to get out there and hike. There is only one road through a small section of the park, though a multitude of hiking trails sprout from the road. This district is significantly less visited than its sister Island in the Sky, and once you get out on the trails there are even less people. Why do I love it? You can hike for miles and get among the cliffs, arches, and spires (also known as hoodoos) and never see another person. Plus there is this amazing place called Chelser Park that defies words. You just have to go there.

Capitol Reef National Park, UT
Of the Big Five national parks in Utah, Capitol Reef is the least visited. I'm not sure why; maybe it is the remoteness, the drive along backcountry highways, or visitors don't see soaring cliffs and awe-inspiring views right from the road, at least none that can match other parks in the area. Capitol Reef has its own charm, but you have to get off the road to find it. The park protects a small oasis in the desert, a lush canyon threaded through by the Fremont River, that at one point saw a small culture of ancient Fremont Indians and at another point more recently was home to pioneers who planted orchards and farmed the land to make a living. The Gifford House still stands as a museum and monument to the mormon poineers, selling ice cream and homemade pies to hungry visitors looking for relief from the desert heat. Get out on a trail or hit up the scenic drive, though, and you get transported away from the green canyon bottom by the little river and find yourself surrounded by the unforgiving desert. This is the part I live for. Here you find the soaring cliffs splashed with colors ranging from tan to white to red to green and more. Here, out away from the main road, you find the little potholes embedded in sandstone, filled to the rim with tiny life. Here is the real magic of The Reef.

Zion National Park, UT
Zion is a world away from what most people will ever see in their lifetimes. If you think the pictures of thousand-foot cliffs, taken either from the top or the bottom of said cliffs, is awe-inspiring, you should try actually being there taking the picture. Zion National Park encompasses a large region of the southwest corner of Utah, but the main draw, and the most visited part of the park, is Zion Canyon. The canyon, carved by the small but mighty Virgin River, narrows the further upstream you travel, to the point where you can look up and your view is restricted to the patch of sky right above you thanks to the rusty red cliffs that rise up, sheer, more than a thousand feet into the air. Take a hike, usually a strenuous one, from the bottom of the canyon to any point up above the canyon floor and you will feel like you're on top of the world. Until you look up and realize you can go even higher. Along with all of the other parks on this list, I have visited this park multiple times, and each time I find something else to love. I visited in winter once, and fell in love with the silence that accompanies a soft snowfall. I visited more recently in May of this year and discovered even on the most popular hiking trails there is something special about overcoming your own mental barriers and making a climb that you thought impossible. For some of the most amazing hikes in the states, visit Zion.

Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve, CO
Do you like playing in the sand? The kid in everybody has a chance to stretch their legs at this popular National Park, where the nation's tallest sand dunes are surrounded by mountains whos peaks reach more than fourteen thousand feet above sea level. You can sand-surf and sled down the golden dunes, and when you need to cool off you can walk off the dunes to splash in Medano Creek, one of the two life-giving streams fed by meltwater in the mountains high above that surround the dune field. Stay until evening, though, when most of the visitors are back at their campsites or hotels, take a hike out onto the dune field at night, and a whole new world opens up around you. I like the dunes best at dawn and dusk, while everybody else is off the dunes and before the sand heats up to a burning point. Sunsets and sunrises paint the dunes with splashes of color and shadow, and on clear nights the skies are so bright you can see your shadow on the monotone sand. Out in the preserve section of the park elk and bears share space with coyotes, antelope, and mule deer, and only one primitive road and a small handful of hiking trails provide humans a glimpse into their world.

Great Smoky Mountains National Park, TN/NC
Lush green mountains rolling away into the distance, the constant sound of water dripping, trickling, rushing, roaring, life everywhere you look, from little salamanders under the leaf litter to birds chirping in the trees above your head, the Smoky Mountains are something unique. I usually avoid crowds, but even the most visited national park in the country has a few places where you can find peace and quiet, if you know when and where to go. I found plenty of it on my trip there in the off-season, when summer vacations were over and everybody went back to school and work. Do you want to be practically guaranteed to see an american black bear? Visit the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, where they have one of the highest population densities of bears in the eastern US. I loved hiking in this park, where it was constantly wet and humid and vibrating with life. Also, I love bears and I got excited every time I saw one.

Surprise! Most of my favorite parks are in Colorado and Utah. You're not really surprised, huh? Also no surprise, my favorite parks are located in the mountains or the desert. I do have a goal to visit all of the 415+ national park/monument units (and I've hit a fair few) so I think my opinion of the best national parks is based on as much of a scientific process as possible, but I can't deny the way the desert and mountains call to me, and how the desert always sits right next to a mountain range. Here's my thought though: I want to know what your favorite park is, and why. If I haven't been there, I would love to know what makes it amazing. If I have been there, convince me why your park should be on my list of favorites. I look forward to rewriting my list this time next year.

National Trails Day

Happy National Trails Day! Throughout the years I've been travelling I've been on countless hiking trails, from short little spurs to fourty plus mile treks, and everything in between. If you've been with me since the beginning I'm sure you've noticed my evolution from short day trips to multi-day backpacking, as well as the knowledge and experience that comes with it. Hiking has let me find myself, escape from work and responsibilities, and has become who I am. Hi, I'm Natasha, I hike a lot and love animals. Being on a trail has given me confidence in my own abilities, a hobby worth bragging about, and a passion I love to share.

I have no intention to quit hiking, and actually want to plan a short thru-hike in the upcoming years. I'll hike as much as I can as far as I can, and would love to take anybody who wants to tag along! In celebration of National Trails Day I've compiled a list of my favorite trails to date, complete with a picture and short description, plus my personal favorite part of the trail. Read on below!

Chesler Park/The Joints, Needles District, Canyonlands National Park, UT

This trail will forever be on the list of favorites, and for very good reason. Where else do you get to walk through a grass and wildflower filled bowl surrounded by hundreds of spires striped with red and white rock, then descend into narrow cracks in the earth that you can explore to your heart's content? Backpacking Chesler Park is a life goal of mine, and it's just a matter of time before I can't resist going back and doing it. Plus, you know, The Joints are neat too!

The Dune Field, Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve, CO

A giant sandbox surrounded by 14,000 ft mountains? Yes, please! Sprinkle in wild sunflowers during the right time of year, and make sure you catch a sunset and a sunrise among the dunes, and you're in for a magical time. There are no established trails in the dune (the shifting sand would bury markers in no time) so making sure you know your directions and landmarks outside of the dune field is a must.

Andrew's Tarn and Glacier, Rocky Mountain National Park, CO

The first time hiking to a glacier and it's tarn is always sure to make an impression, and Andrew's Glacier in Rocky Mountain certainly did. It wasn't just the glacier that made the whole long day hike worth it; we passed pristine alpine lakes like The Loch (above) along the way. A hike just to this lake alone would be worth it!

Mount Le Conte via Rainbow Falls Trail, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, TN

Hiking alone deep in bear country with a storm rolling in? Yeah, it might not have been the smartest move on my part but the hike itself was well worth the worry. I've never hiked in a place so green, and pictures don't do it justice. Can I go back now?

Hidden Canyon, Zion National Park, UT

I finally finished this short hike in Zion, and it was so worth the 18 month wait. Not for those with a fear of heights or tight places, the trail to the mouth of Hidden Canyon is sprinkled with exposed sections along the shelf of a cliff, with nothing but a chain bolted to the rock for you to hold on to. A set of stairs and many switchback make it moderately strenuous, but for those with plenty of water and a good pair of legs your reward is Hidden Canyon with it's fern-covered walls and cool shady grottos.

Angel's Landing, Zion National Park, UT

This is by far the scariest hike I've ever accomplished, and though I'm not sure I would do it again I am beyond proud of myself that I finished it. Now, I don't have a fear of heights at all, but I have a slight problem using a chain to pull myself up and down a very narrow fin of rock with thousand foot drop offs on both sides of my feet, especially a chain that swings out unexpectedly if someone else grabs it or lets it go. The view from the top though? Incredible.

Tonto Trail, Grand Canyon National Park, AZ

Another recent accomplishment, the Tonto Trail is one of a small handful of trails that run the length of Grand Canyon National Park, inside the canyon. My sister and I spent four days hiking the canyon, with all three of our campsites on this trail. More on that adventure will come later, but all I'll say right now is I want to go back. I miss the trail, the simplicity of walking, no phones, no communication outside of ourselves and a couple of other hikers, and the quiet. The walking wasn't easy by any means, but I already miss it and I've only been back for a couple of weeks.

National Trails Day is also a day for hikers to give back to the trails we love so much, and thank the people who make trails possible. I encourage every one of you who's ever enjoyed a trail to do something to benefit and give back. You can volunteer for trail maintenance, pick up garbage along your favorite trail, donate to a nonprofit that advocates for trails, or countless other options to help keep trails accessible to everyone. If nothing else, get outside and hit a trail! I'll see ya out there.

What I'm listening to: At Wit's End by Hans Zimmer

My Top Five Favorite Hikes

Exploring this amazing country has become a life goal of mine, and it's one that I'm not putting off till later. I travel far and wide, as often as physically possible, and make plans to get outside every weekend. I love traveling by car and happily drive nearly everywhere I travel to, but if I really want to get to know a place I explore it by foot. Hiking is more than just a hobby of mine; it's become a lifestyle that leads me from the ocean beach to the mountain top and every prairie, forest, and desert between. I've tried to get a comprehensive list of my favorite hikes together before, but I travel to so many new places that the list constantly changed. I've finally put words and pictures to my top five hikes as of my latest adventure, but please keep in mind that this list changes constantly. Read on below to discover the best places to take a hike!

Hidden Canyon, Zion National Park, Utah

First things first, this hike is NOT for those with even a minor fear of heights. The trail starts climbing right away, up from the bottom of Zion Canyon along countless switchbacks until it curves around and takes you out of sight of the trailhead parking lot. From then it gets really interesting. I hiked this route in the middle of winter, the first week of January, and only got partway through before I decided it was too dangerous to continue. I really didn't want to fall off a cliff, and that was a real possibility if I'd kept going. As far as I went, I encountered countless steps, tight places, and seriously exposed trail no wider than a sidewalk with a two hundred foot drop off on one side and a towering rock wall with a chain bolted to it for a handhold. (NOTE: This hike was closed for construction as of Summer 2016. Please check with the park for current trail closures.)

Chesler Park/The Joints, Canyonlands National Park, Utah

I've written about this hike here, but it is worth repeating how spectacular it is. If you've a mind to wander through a grassy meadow surrounded by red and white spires, then check out a network of slot-like canyons where you sometimes have to squeeze in sideways against cool sandstone walls, then this hike is for you. Also, bonus points for only having one way in and one way out: can't get lost! If you're up for a long (long) desert hike, make the time to hike here.

Mills Lake, Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado

I've had the pleasure of hiking to this lake in spring and during winter, and I'm going to have to say I like the wintertime hike better! There's nothing like mountain lakes frozen over, snow blowing with gusts of wind against the dark evergreens. Of course, spring has its merits too: warmer temperatures, bluebird skies and little fishies in the lakes. Read about my two hikes to this gorgeous lake here and here.

Mount Le Conte via Rainbow Falls, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Tennessee

Although I didn't feel it at the time, the hike up Mount Le Conte has become one of my favorite hikes (and it isn't located in Utah or Colorado!) strictly due to how gorgeous it is. Seriously, old growth forests crowd the well-worn path in Lord-of-the-Rings-esque views while little salamanders scurry away from your boots among the leaf litter. This hike is long, it rains a lot, gains quite a bit of elevation, and is located smack-dab in the middle of a heavily bear-populated park, so make sure you are prepared before you attempt it. It's a good idea to always carry bear spray and bells while you hike.

Sand Dunes, Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve, Colorado 

Can this picture just speak for itself? Featuring North America's tallest sand dunes, mountain ranges that boast '14ers, moody weather, and an abundance of desert, prairie, and mountain wildlife, hiking anywhere into the 30 square mile dune field needs to be on everyone's bucketlist. Make sure you hike to the summit of High Dune, the tallest dune of the front line of the dunes and the most easily accessible dune from the visitor's center, and take a meander up or down Medano Creek to cool off. Just make sure you get off the dunes when the storms blow in, you don't want to be the tallest object out there when lightning starts making contact with the ground.

As you can see, these hikes have thrill and adventure in common, and it should be no surprise that they are located within national parks (and that Colorado and Utah are featured!). Some take you along exposed ledges or into confined spaces, others have altitude as a factor, and most have extreme temperatures to take into account. They are not hikes that you take on a whim, but plan and prepare for before setting out. Don't let that stop you though! Please, do your research, find a hike that excites you for it's destination, it's track, or it's solitude, and get out there. What are your favorite hikes? What should I hike next?

My Top Four Favorite Campsites

If you've read anything on this blog at all you've realized by now that I love to camp. And not the lavish, high-end glamping, but the roughin' it down and dirty camping in a tent, preferably with no people, no showers, and amazing views. Just in case that wasn't clear, I've compiled a list of my favorite campsites and have laid them out below. Please keep in mind: this is a work in progress and I will update the list as I continue to find new, fantastic places to pitch my tent. Here are my top four favorite campsites, in no particular order:

My Spot, CO

My Spot has been a long standing campsite in our family, ever since we discovered it years and years ago on a family vacation. It was always the place I chose to camp any time I was asked to pick a spot, and I have many fond memories playing on the rocks near the cold mountain creek near Monarch Mountain in the central Colorado Rockies. The last time I was there we only stopped for a lunch picnic, but I would love to go back and camp again, just for the trip down memory lane.

Great Smoky Mountains National Park Cosby Campground, TN

Great Smokey Mountains National Park completely blew me away as a whole, but camping at Cosby Campground, as the only person on my entire loop, backed up against the forest and warned about the resident bear, I was in awe. Evening sunlight filtered through the thick canopy of leaves, and nights were darker than I thought was possible. Shining a flashlight around revealed the eyeshine of millions of forest bugs, and I fell asleep each night to the melody of a thousand crickets. Each morning I woke up to a tent covered in dew, and smelled the musty rain scent of a forest that is perpetually wet. I would love to go back to that park and get out into the backcountry, maybe try out the AT for a few nights!

Sea Rim State Park, TX

I'm a morning girl and a sucker for sunrises, and I'm not sure a slow sunrise over an ocean beach can be beat. I loved camping on the beach of the North Texas Gulf Coast so much that I went back a second time, and I wouldn't say no to several more trips per year. The sunrises linger on, from the first glimmer of light on the eastern horizon to when the sun finally gets her round face fully over the horizon, and even a little after as she continues to light up the low clouds like fire. Plus the fact that it's a relatively unvisited little park with five miles of deserted beach, and the ability to camp anywhere on the sand that you want as long as you're not on the tidal dunes and out of reach of high tide. Now that's my kind of park.

Great Sand Dunes National Park, CO

This campsite right here is a bucket list item I can finally cross off! I have wanted to backpack into the tallest dunes in North America for years, and have stayed right on their skirts in the park's established campground, but never had the chance or the gear to actually hike into the dunes and pitch a tent. I have finally accomplished this goal, and slept soundly in the dead quiet night surrounded by mounds of sand. After climbing the dune ridge to catch the sunset (skypainting, when words are hard), and sitting outside my tent watching the stars unfurl into the Milky Way, of course. And waking up to glowing ridges and deep bowl shadows then next morning? Bliss.

Have I convinced you to tent camp a little more? Have I inspired you to take your own adventure, by yourself or with a friend, to a place where you can pitch a tent in a lovely place? Let me know if I have, and if you're at all interested in camping with me next time!

Cades Cove: A Wildlife Wonderland

 

Captivated. Cades Cove was by far my favorite area to see wildlife while visiting Great Smoky Mountains National Park this past September. I saw something each of the times I drove the loop. I've written about my first visit to the cove where I saw a bear here, but my other visits were just as fulfilling. Not only was there an abundance of wildlife, the whole area is full of log cabins, a mill house and old roads used by those who once called the cove home. Can you imagine what it would have been like to live there 100 years ago? Relying on yourself and your neighbors, able to get out of the mountains only by a few wagon roads pecked through the forests surrounding you.

On my second visit to the cove I just wanted to see another bear. It was getting towards evening and I knew I needed to get back to camp and get dinner going. I drove through rather quickly, and although I didn't see a bear I was treated to a coyote running across one of the fields, then right behind my car as he darted across the road and disappeared into the forests on the other side. Bear, coyote, same thing, right?

My next visit to the cove was actually thought out. I wanted to stop at each of the turnouts on the road, explore the old log cabins and see what the community that called these mountains home was like. I spent an entire afternoon there, going in to every cabin, climbing rickety staircases and entering the dark mill, where I purchased some cornflour ground right there in front of me. I also discovered a bat roost in one of the old cabins set back a little bit from the road. I noticed their droopings on the floor in a dark corner of the cabin and went over with a flashlight to investigate, and got real quiet when I realized they were bats. I showed the family who was also in the house with me, and they left rather quickly, leaving me to gaze at the tiny little faces that looked bewildered in the beam of my flashlight.

Yet another random side-trip through the cove was a little more productive; I saw another bear! A big male, from what the park ranger told me. He was far off the road in the forest, and since night was falling the photos I tried to take without flash didn't turn out, but that's ok. Bear number two! Cades Cove, you didn't disappoint.

My final trip through the cove couldn't be beat. I wasn't even on the cove loop road for fifteen minutes before I hit the traffic jam that indicated the presence of wildlife. Slowly but surely, the cause of the jam came in to view: a mama and a baby bear, right on the side of the road!!! They were engrossed in foraging for acorns and took no notice of the crowd of cars and people jammed tightly together, all trying to get photos of the adorable little ball of black and brown fluff. All too soon I was forced to keep driving, leaving the sow and cub to the people in the cars behind me. But I was ecstatic; I'd seen four bears, hadn't had any bad encounters, and it was my last day in the park. I finished the cove loop and left for my campsite. Content doesn't even begin to cover how I feel about my Adventures in Great Smoky Mountains National Park. I can't wait to visit again!

What I'm listening to: Dumbledore's Foreboding by Nicholas Hooper

Caves and Arches in the Appalachians

Casual. I wasn't in any particular hurry on my hike to Alum Cave in Great Smoky Mountains National Park, and set my pace a little slower than my usual hiking speed. I had gotten out of bed early enough to ensure a parking space at the trail head for one of the more popular hikes in the park, and having secured the space, I was going to enjoy my morning.

This particular trail was undergoing maintenance when I visited the park, and they had it closed Monday-Thursday. I planned my hike for Friday, ensuring the trail would be open and I wouldn't run into any roadblocks. The morning was actually perfect, sunny and warm, with the light cutting between the leaves of the forest in ever-moving patterns and the mists rising off the mountains like smoke.

I wandered through the forest, following a mountain stream and crossing it more than once. It wasn't long before the trail started climbing, as it usually goes in the mountains. You almost always go up. As I turned a bend on the trail I stood facing what looked like a stream crossing, and a solid black rock wall. Then I noticed the stairs at the base of the wall, winding up into the rock and out of sight. I eagerly crossed the log bridge and stared up into "The Arch," a hole in the rock wall through which stairs had been chisled and cable rails had been attached. I started through the arch, admiring the work that had to have been put into such a trail, before I reached top and continued on.

I stopped often, pulling out my camera and snapping photos. I caught up with an older gentleman, who was using a cane as he hiked, and got to talking. I commended him on getting out and hiking on a beautiful morning and found out he was on a trip with a group of friends who take a trip in autumn every year, and have been for fifteen years. They had hiked ahead of him, but he didn't mind. I kept pace with him, exchanging travel stories. Eventually he stopped to rest at a gorgeous overlook and I kept going, promising to save him a spot at the Cave when I got there.

The path climbed sharply for the last half-mile or so, and it quickly became apparent why the trail was closed for maintenance. It was nothing short of a scramble up the bluffs to get into the cave proper. I was faced with a wide, shallow hollow in towering white cliffs over a hundred feet tall. I scrambled up the steeply sloping debris at the foot of the cliff which made up the floor of the cave, hundreds of years worth of decaying rock. I climbed all the way to the top of the cave and found a flat rock to sit on, stretching my legs and pulling out snacks. The gentleman I'd left behind entered the cave at the bottom, and waved when he spotted me, flashing thumbs up, before tearing into his granola bar.

Before long I was ready to hike back out and spend my sunny day elsewhere in the park; I was going to take full advantage if it wasn't going to rain. I waved goodbye to the gentleman as I departed and wished him luck with his future travels, and he returned the sentiment. The hike down didn't take me nearly as long as the hike there had, mostly because I was traveling downhill. I did get to see a couple of salamander on my trail, trying to stay under the leaves my boots disturbed. It was just a nice hike, on a nice day, and it couldn't have been better.

What I'm listening to: Dueling the Basilisk by John Williams