Hello, hikers,

Welcome to the first midweek hike and it's review. And welcome Lena to the hiking groups! I got up my courage and hiked within a couple miles of the area that the two women were slain back in July...tackling the Heather Lake trail. What a perfect day to do this hike! Arriving at the trailhead, only two other vehicles greeted us...we all but had the day to ourselves. Up the trail we went, soon meeting both rock and root strewn areas below our boots. The grade was moderate the entire way and in just a little over an hours time, we see the towering rock formations surrounding the lake ahead. We seem to have beat the sun over the hills as the trail up was quite dark and damp having been sheltered from the light. Soon we crossed a small stream reminding us that we were soon to reach the top. Sure enough, the toilet sign let us know we had reached our destination...time to grab a sunny lunch spot with a view across the water.....how wonderful! We didn't see another soul during our restful meal! Having never been around the lake, we packed up and headed on the trail to do so...there we met two fisher people, saying they'd been successful at catching a few fish. Having now intersected the trail down, it was time to head back...not already (:-(! The sun now warming the trail below and streaming through the trees, down we indeed went, sighting things we'd never seen on the way up...down, down, down we headed, soon hearing the traffic below. Back in the parking lot, we agreed to head to Granite Falls for something cold to drink and possibly some ice cream to whet our whistles...it was juice for me and ice cream for Lena...she has decided that her first outing with the group was great fun!

Happy Trails,
Kathy