Summerin'

We worked at home most of the weekend - on just one small section of our woods - under the huge Black Cottonwoods.  Butch chainsawed all the big limbs, I did the smaller stuff & we both hauled it down to the burn pile.  Since I hadn't ridden - today was the day!  The heat is finally On...  Never my favorite time of year to ride - nonetheless - I got all the watering done early & drove north.  I was surprised to see several trailers at the parking area & cars parked along side the road.

Cleared Trail~

We took the trail through the woods & found that someone had cleared the last 100 ft. or so that always gets overgrown. 

Vine Maples

I decided on our usual loop & planned to find all the shade I could.  On these long days - the sun filtered through all the trees is so Beautiful!  Coming up the road where Farah had thrown me Post~  - I noticed this stump off to the side.  Dug into, chunks of bark scraped aside - no doubt about it - the bears were looking for grubs.

Stump~

I wasn't going to take Fast Trail - especially with a short sleeved shirt on, but I love the views.  Fast Trail is no longer fast :-)  Overgrown is a perfect description.  The birds were eating the Thimbleberries, but the blackberries aren't ripe yet.

On Fast Trail~

A nice breeze made the day bearable, but I could feel the temperature climbing.   I did the short video below of a short section of the trail to the Monument.  Carole - this is for you :-)

 

 There was one young guy at the Monument, sitting in the shade.   He didn't look our way or want to be social - so we respected his privacy & stayed away until he left. 

View of the Islands to the Northwest

Someone has mowed & everything looked great, except for a few small pieces of trash that I picked up as we left. 

The Olympics have been so stunning all weekend & today too.

Southwest down the Sound~

The edges of the little hillside that hosts the monument - are now growing the wild Sweet Pea.  They're so pretty when they're blooming - but depending on your preference - can be considered a weed.

Sweet Pea

The sky was such a deep rich blue, with the high white clouds, the wide open views of Summer.

Summer Sky~

When headed into the deep dark woods, a lady on a bike came at us so fast that I thought we were going to crash - but an evasive maneuver by Farah helped, along with my shout!  She mentioned something about Farah being the color of the shade.

Far Peaks~

These far peaks are so stunning, low clouds floating by.  

Whitehorse & Three Fingers

 As we started down, I dismounted, took off my helmet & walked a mile or so.  Farah was so good today - the Magnesium supplement we started her on over a year ago, along with the Vitamin B supplement that Cassandra recommended - seems to be doing the trick.  Spooking at bicycles was not a good thing!

Above it all~  Mt. Rainier

 Besides an unexpected leap over a muddy spot - we really had a great ride!  We never did see another horseman.  We did see a young guy with his phone out in front of him, just past the gate - clueless that we were anywhere around - playing Pokemon Go...  Where this craze will GO - is anyone's guess!