Fogeys in the Fog

Last year, when I went on this hike with the Senior Trailblazers, it was sunny with views. (That link shows you what we didn't see today.) Here's Norm, one of nineteen Seniors who headed up to Skyline Divide on a day that was projected to be cloudy and maybe even rain in the morning, with partial clearing in the afternoon.

We quickly separated into a few separate groups, as our usual pacesetter, Al, wasn't with us today. Here's the lead group as I began to fall back and slow down, since the hike begins quite uphill right away. The temperature was wonderful, cool with no sun, but I still couldn't keep up with the leaders. The fog would begin to lift and then fill in again, but we were hopeful that we would have at least a few peeks at the view before lunch. It was not to be.

At noon, as we settled in for lunch, the fog came and went without giving us the slightest hint of the major mountains very nearby. The good part is that a very slight breeze kept the bugs at bay while we ate, and we saw a couple of marmots on the hillside. We enjoyed a stimulating conversation about new local eating places and the benefits of different camera equipment, but we didn't stay for long. It began to feel a little cold: the mist, the breeze, the temperature of 53 degrees.

Since Al wasn't with us, we decided to throw all our garbage down the ravine. He's a stickler for staying on the trail and carrying out our trash. This is for you, Al, to show you why we need you to keep us honest! (We didn't really, but it made for a great picture!)

We moseyed slowly back down the trail, having covered a little more than seven miles and a little more than 2,000 feet in elevation gain and loss before reaching our cars. I stopped several times to take pictures of the flowers, most of which I won't post here. (You can see them on that Trailblazers link on the right-hand side of my blog.)

Without the view, but with exercise, conversation with some cool people, and a chance to take these pictures, I was happy when I reached the trailhead and the cars. However, in the immortal way of the Universe, by the time we were ready to head back, the skies began to clear. This picture was taken on our way back down to the main road:

I'm sure that the hikers coming up the trail as we were heading down got to see some incredible views (which I was hoping for), but nevertheless I had another great day with my hiking buddies, got some fantastic pictures, and am feeling renewed, content, and happy. I hope you are, too.
:-)