8/10- Cow Creek Meadows, 8 miles, 7 hikers

WOW! Sun rays coming in through the cliffs at Cow Creek Meadows. It looks very Yosemite-ish here.

This is a great spot. One of my favorites now. The meandering creek is beautiful. Clear, blue, deep, and really calm. There are scree piles filled with marmots. Their “meeps!” echo in the meadow. So does the sound of a nearby stream. LOTS of mosquitos, especially in the meadow itself. Today was a bit of a climb but wasn’t awful. Checked campsites at Myrtle Lake. Checked sites here and dismantled one fire pit. I head to Larch Lakes tomorrow and will clean sites there. Should be an easier day, though there is some climbing.

8/11- Upper Larch Lake, 6 miles, 9 hikers

BUGS. Beautiful here.

Sun is going down, highlighting reddish-orange rocks. 1404 Trail is awful. 1408 is gorgeous. Nice views, diverse landscapes, pretty flowers. Just missed talking to 4 hikers because I was absorbed by taking pictures of wildflowers up on a boulder. Even thought “Those must be the 2 people coming back down the trail that I already talked to”. Then I heard a third voice. “Huh, the other guy I met across the lake somehow got over here on this side without me noticing. How did that happen? This boulder is right next to the trail.” No Rachel, that makes no sense. I finally looked up from the flowers and the 4 new hikers were far away and I wasn’t going to chase them down. Oops. Mosquitos are biting through the Deet. Just saw a Western Garter snake!

8/12- Up to Pomas Pass, 4 miles, 2 hikers

I’m getting kind of famous here. Everyone already knows who I am before I introduce myself. Word is spreading on the trail about Ranger Rachel. Pomas was pretty. Nice views of the Entiat Valley. Saw 2 shooting stars last night. I love my spot here at Upper Larch. Got a nice boulder with pretty flowers growing in the cracks and there’s a nice creek flowing behind my tent. Got my toes soaking in it right now.

8/13- Trailhead, 7 miles

Had “Fernando” by ABBA stuck in my head the entire hike out- torture. It was nice weather this hitch, I’m grateful.