Magical Mother's Day

Total Training Miles Today (Sunday 5/11): 17.9 miles

This kind of morning puts a smile on your face. Clear blue skies with a few puffy clouds here and there. Mount Rainier shining with the first rays of sunrise. Birds are singing. The flowers are blooming. And everything is SO green! I love it.

Playing with shadows in the beautiful morning sunlight.

Patti had a lot to do this morning, so she walked for just over an hour before heading back. We decided to head down the road past the gravel operation. The equipment looks like some huge octopus.

Palmer Coking Coal gravel processing equipment

As we passed some large puddles, they acted like mirrors in the morning light.

Bridget wanders into the reflecting puddle to get a drink.

Our next stop was Oak Lake. We wanted to see if we could walk around the lake. The answer was not only no, but HELL NO! The water was even higher than the last time we visited. It must be ten feet higher than "normal", whatever that is, since this lake all but disappears in the dry summer months. 

Bud tests the water at Oak Lake. It is about ten feet higher than normal.

 We headed back up the trail and walked towards Lake Sawyer.

Deb and Patti on our way to Lake Sawyer.

 After walking by the lake, we headed back to the forest road. Patti took the dogs and headed back to the car. Debbie and I headed out on the forest perimeter trail. We always stop and add a rock to the little rock-pile monument.

Debbie adds a rock to the rock monument.

 I had Debbie pause to show off her new pack. She went to REI yesterday and complained about her old pack. It was hurting her hips, and they determined that it was too big for her. She spent two hours with them and finally got this one. She still needs to adjust the hip belt and shoulder straps. However, it looks really good. She also got her sleeping bag, which is bundled in a very cute carrying bag.

Deb with her new pack.

 On the main trail, the scotch broom were so heavy they pushed out into the trail.

Scotch broom along the main trail that follows the old train line.

We took a few different trails and got back to the car in two hours and twenty minutes.