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.
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.
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!
