A long utilized accessory made another attempt at freedom. In March 2011, I found a hat along the road in Joshua Tree National Park.  There was no way to find the owner so it was adopted.  Since that time it has sought freedom along a trail in Delaware Water Gap NP when it stayed on a rock while we continued along the trail.  Once it absence was noted I doubled back to find it being washed in a creek by a potential foster parent who returned it.  Later in Ontario it stayed on a log after a break and was homeless for 30 minutes until retrieved.  This week it stayed on a rock after a hiking break and was homeless for a couple of hours until we returned along the trail to give it a short day of hiking.  Over the years it has faded and earned some battle scars, the most notable a hole delivered by Brian and Johnna’s dog Sara when it leapt to freedom while both hands were busy painting.  Those battle scars may explain this week’s long freedom while being bypassed by many hikers.  It is back home and enjoyed the trails in Craters of the Moon National Monument today.

Wear and tear tells us that this is a high traffic trail sometimes but not this morning. We gain a bit of elevation then walk the ridge with great views of Redfish and Sawtooth Mountains.  We pause as a deer watches us and munches then watches us again before veering off the trail and into the pines.

A final set of steep hot switchbacks brings us to the first forest encircled lake. Mountain peaks reflect in the still surface.  All is silent and a duck creates smooth ripples as it glides across the surface.

We bushwack our way to lake number two, since we didn’t’ see that the trail actually skirted the lake on the other side. We are rewarded with another pool.  We notice a family camp near the shore but all is peacefully silent.  Then we hear it, “Mom, Dad.  Mom, Dad.  There are people here.”  Guess they had had the place all to themselves up til we showed up.  We find a seat on a fallen log near the waterline and stay for a few.  We  agree that we could probably enjoy some time here, especially those few evening and overnight hours when even just a few miles out one can feel that they are the only people on earth.

It is noon time and the midmorning hikers are arriving so we bid our peaceful perch farewell and head down to the beach at Redfish Lake for a dip.  It doesn’t take long to cool off then not long to warm up as the lake is pretty cold but sun toasty warm.

Back at camp the smoke is rolling in again. We head back to the Sawtooth view across Redfish Lake to check out the sunset.

It is hard to roll out of bed when it is 37F but the forecast is for the high 80s by afternoon so we want to stick with our planned early start. A short drive that includes a quick stop at the Bakery (one blueberry scone and a cinnamon roll plus a chock full of good stuff cookie for the trail) brings us to the trailhead.  We don fleece and wind breakers and set off.

Bare charred pines line the trail as we pass through a burn area. At first it is a bit depressing but the sun rises to peak over the ridge above us and shadows begin to play across the hillside.  Clusters of wildflowers accent the grey scene.  First we hear then come alongside the trail name sake, Marsh Creek.   The feel of cool air off the water and rolling down the cliffs alternates with the toasty warm of the brilliant morning sun.  Before long we strip first the fleece then the jackets.

Along the creek we spot an osprey and a mama merganser and her one little chick. The trail clings to talus cliff sides where pica and marmots make appearances.  All day deer tracks way outnumber boot tracks at our feet.  We meet no one on the trail until we began our return trek and encountered only one occupied wilderness campsite. It is good to know that we can get out into the wild a bit even on a day hike.

Our destination today; the confluence of Marsh Creek and Bear Creek that is the birth of the Middle Fork of the Salmon River. From a perch high above the creeks the view is beautiful.  There is an amazing aqua blue pool so tempting that we just have to clamber down to check it out.  There is no one else around.   I wade to my knees but have to keep getting out to warm my numbing toes. Kent is a bit braver, he goes for a dip.  Good for him.  We hang out and have lunch and just soak it all in.

It is hot now. The hike out is filled with new smells as the air rises up the creek banks and lifts the forest smells with it.  We take breaks in the shade and ease our way back to civilization.  Along the creek I notice quiet sections where the water slips among the rocks as well as the roaring turns and leaps over boulders.

It has been a wonderful hike.

We are heading for the Park Butte trail in Mt Baker Wilderness. A doe and twin fawns appear as we wind up gravel forest roads. We had been told that it is a busy trail but were still surprised to see the trailhead lot quite full.  No problem, it’s a big wilderness.  We were overtaken by quite a few hikers.  They all seem to be in a great hurry.  Not us.  The trail starts in high meadow where the heather blanketing the ground is covered with purple blooms.  It steepens and switchbacks through forest.  We cross a wide swatch of glacier moraine and a bridge over a beautiful braided river that is steely grey with the glacier flour it carries.  Soon we encounter patches of snow.  Some mud of course given all the melt and rain.  Now more snow.  At about 2 ½ miles and about 1500 feet in elevation gain we are on slushy, messy snow pack.  Ick.  This is hard work.  We wear out before we reach the lookout tower at trails end.  It would have been another mile or so on an unmarked trail on snow. We do make it to the start of the climbers trail onto Mt Baker and we choose to check out the fantastic view for a bit then head back down.

A bit of advice.

Don’t stick hot tired feet in a frigid glacier stream. Yikes.  That water was ice mere hours ago.  Three toes cramped into the shape of hawk talons.  Not good. They recovered quickly with a bit of warming in the sun.

Very cool

Red breasted sapsuckers love this damp thick forest

Can geologists really know all this just by looking across this landscape? For thousands of years, layer after layer of slow moving lava spread out over great plains.  As it cooled it contracted and fractured creating vast expanses of columnar basalt.  Icefields expanded covering the region grinding channels and blocking rivers. Colossal Lake Missoula formed behind ice dams.  Ice dams broke and flood waters raged.  Ice advanced.  Lakes refilled.  Ice dams broke and flood waters raged.

Each time, Wallula Gap was the restriction that held back a wall of water some 1250ft high and like a nozzle it generated a powerful stream that eroded enormous basins and flow streams in the basalt fields.

The Columbia River flows through that gap now.  We hiked to the top of its craggy cliffs for a pretty fantastic view of this handiwork.