When I Grow Up…

Last night I felt the need to get out in nature.

I'm going for a drive. You don't look very energetic. I'm not, but it's beautiful out. I need to go.

As I was driving to my intended location, I thought, Oh, I haven't been up this road yet this year.
Heading up it was wet. Rivulets of muddy water running down the gravel road. Obviously this storm had ran west to east as it had not rained at home.

A bit further up I headed off the main road. Up where I used to check bear rub trees. Up where I hyperextended my knee leading to tearing my meniscus. Last year, the washout you had to park at had been repaired which in this area means they are going to log it.

I had driven up last year but stopped when the trail got rough and narrow. Not any more.

Bumping along on the trail left by a dozer, I came into a logged out area. I will never understand clear cutting. Several areas had more trees left but driving up the road, the mountainside to the left of me was bare.

As I continued climbing higher and higher, a truck above me rounded the corner coming down. Off-roading etiquette says downhill has the right of way. It's a lot harder to back up uphill.

I backed down to the corner where there was enough room for us to pass each other. The other truck slowed and stopped and I recognized someone I know in the passenger seat. We had a brief conversation and with a drive safe wish, I continued up and them on their way down.

I hit the landing pad (logging talk) and flipped around as the road was becoming a skidder trail and as much as I would like to think the trusty "Exploder" could get me higher, I might find out the hard way it can't haha.

However, the view from the top was amazing! Even though the late season wildfire haze I could see so much detail in the landscape below.

The recent rain had caused fog to fill the valley bottom. It was so beautiful.

I headed back down off the mountain top and when I reached the road out, the fog was still lingering in the open meadows. The cool air and the misty moisture had me Oohing and Aahing until I finally stopped my vehicle and got out.

The cool air felt so good after the heat of the day and I wandered through the still blooming wildflowers and grasses gone to seed, taking photos and talking to myself. The result of which is this photo.