Oct 5 -- Hiking Fools Get Together

[Hikin_Jim]

Leave it to HJ to make memories of that day even better by posting pictures of Joycie

Sorry I didn't have more photos of others.

I love the idea of having a potluck in Joshua tree. Wonderland traverse anyone?

Heck yeah!

HJ

[jfr]

Vicki and I met up with Jim and Joyce at the tram, and they escorted us to our campsite in Tamarack Valley. This was to be our final "mountain" backpacking trip of the 2013 season (because soon it will be Desert Season!), and we were able to "cash in" our ranger-cancelled permit that we had for Little Round Valley at the end of July, when the Mountain Fire was burning. So, basically, we hiked up to Tamarack, then hiked back to Long Valley for the potluck, then hiked all the way back to our tent afterward. It was fully dark when we got there. But at least we didn't have to cook dinner!

Our original plan was to hike over to Folly the next day, Sunday, but Vicki didn't feel well that night, and slept rather poorly. So we headed back out Sunday morning, though we'd intended to make it a two night trip. Oh well. As they keep telling me "The mountain will always be there", and I guess Folly will have to wait until next year. Hmmm, maybe we'll bag Mt. Saint Ellens while we're at it!

Joyce and I had a lot of fun. Thank you to everyone who was nice to Joyce.

Before the event, Joyce and I joined jfr and Vicki for a quick trip up the Sid Davis route and back down the main trail from Round Valley. Joyce did the loop entirely on her own; I think it was on the order of four, maybe four and a half miles round trip. This was the first time I've not carried her on a hike, not even a single step. She even made it back up the Ramp of Despair (the cement ramp leading up to the tram from Long Valley).

Jim, I have a feeling that the two of you are going to be doing a two-night backpacking trip to Tamarack or Round Valley next summer, and that Joyce will summit San Jacinto Peak unassisted on the middle day! And, in less time than you think, she'll be out-hiking you!

A tree that someone has carved dozens of little faces into. I've never noticed it before although I know I've walked by it a number of times.

Here's my short video of all of the tiny faces (sorry but some are a bit out of focus).


How many faces can you see?

Less scenic but interesting are the new outhouses they're putting in over by the Round Valley Ranger Station.

I noticed also that they're raising the trail near Round Valley, so that it's a couple of inches higher than the surrounding terrain. Maybe people were getting lost back there?

When we came by there the next morning I realized why the nearby trails were raised: That is where they dumped the sand when they dug the two deep pits under the outhouses! They spread it out along the trail.

Actually, that's pretty much all my photos. Once I got to the potluck, I was too busy yakking and cooking to shoot photos. I hope some others will contribute more photos. HJ

Well, here's some more photos. If you click on any one of them it will take you to the full-sized version of that photo (I hope) so that those who are in them can download them for themselves.
































The full set of pictures from our weekend hike:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/_jfr_/sets ... 375080863/

[Hikin_Jim]

Great photos, jfr!!!

I particularly like this one of Joyce and Spikey:


Nice to see so many faces (particularly since I didn't take my camera out once we arrived at the potluck).

HJ

[bluerail]

it was alot of fun to see everyone, sorry i missed out running back and forth to the milk bar.

[Perry]

I particularly like this one of Joyce and Spikey:

Formerly known as "beary bear." (Name change during the picnic, I paid attention.)

It was good to see everybody....faces I had not seen in a very long time...those I had only met online before...and friends of board members who ended up there by spontaneous day-of invitation. That was our first day off together in 3 months. We needed that, and it was good for Lily to go somewhere new and meet new people.