Hikin' 'n' Fishin'

We are so lucky to have this campsite. Several people have stopped by to ask us when we are leaving so they can move in! Yesterday, John got the kayak ready and went out on the lake to fish. I had all intentions of going hiking but never made it out of the park. I really enjoyed not doing anything but read, write postcards and nap! We also spent part of the afternoon checking out fishing guides, getting a couple of items at the store and then John took me out to eat. Very lazy day!

So today we made up for being lazy! John was out in the kayak for over 5 hours trying to catch those wily trout and traveled about 3 miles down the lake in his efforts. Unfortunately the wind came up as the day wore on. The good thing is that it was at his back which made getting back up the lake a whole lot easier. After all that time he never got a bite.

I made two hikes. I walked down a trail to the Kenai River which was about 2 miles round trip. The unsettling part of this hike was all the bear scat along the path! I talked to myself, sang Girl Scout songs and did a lot of praying out loud! Must have worked because I didn't see any bears. But the river was beautiful. It actually split into 3 streams where I was and all of them had rapids. That is one fast moving river!

The second hike was a lot longer and much more strenuous. I figure it was about 3 1/2 miles round trip but it had a 1400 feet elevation change and that was all in the first mile! And on top of that the sun came out and it got warm! The trail was a woodland trail -- dirt with leaf and pine coverings, a lot of exposed roots to step over or to use as steps up. When in the woods it was quiet except for the song birds, nicely shaded and smelled so wonderfully earthy with hints of wildflowers and pine. Between the stretches of woods were meadows with the tallest grass and flowers I have ever seen. They threatened to obscure the path and the Queen Anne's Lace towered overhead, some of it over 7 feet tall! I could also hear water running down the mountain. At one point I knew there was a waterfall but had a really hard time seeing it through the canopy of lush green leaves and grass. Periodically beautiful wildflowers like purple Monk's Hood and red Columbine and blue forget-me-nots would nod as I walked by. Lower Fuller Lake greeted me with its blue mountain coolness. It was a small lake that was a welcomed site after all the woods and grass.

I spent about 3 hours hiking and was dog tired when I got back. John and I enjoyed the evening around a roaring fire.