Friends of the Umpqua – Page 7 – Friends of the Umpqua Hiking Group

Jacksonville Forest Park – February 19, 2022

Hike coordinator: Lane Harris

Narration by Lane Harris

In the 1850’s Jacksonville was a thriving gold rush town, and the nearby hillsides were pockmarked with mines. Today, some of those mines are still accessible, but only to those who lay their hiking boots onto the steep trails in Forest Park just outside of town. Although the mines are now blocked with metal gates, one can still peer into the darkness and imagine what it must have felt like to explore these dusky caves that held precious metals.

The trails here can baffle the most educated trail master, and without a trail map you will be dazed and confused by the decisions you must make as to what trails to take. I was struggling to come up a hike to lead at the previous club meeting. I’m now certain that when Richard suggested this one for me, that he was pulling a cruel joke on me. Or, at the very least, testing my navigation skills. So, it was with due diligence that we scheduled a pre-hike with Medford hiking pal Glenn, who knew the trails well. I was feeling a tad under the weather the day of the pre-hike, so Richard and Glenn went by themselves. They were kind enough to take meticulous notes, and I used those notes extensively when I eventually pre hiked the trails myself a week before the scheduled club hike.

You can read Richard’s blog of the pre-hike here: Richard Hikes: Jacksonville Forest Park

On a chilly but clear blue-sky morning, we had no less than 16 hikers gather up at the starting point. I then proceeded to form three hiking teams. The faster hikers, Team Eagle, would follow Glenn. I would lead the monkeys in the middle, aptly named Team Monkey. And Richard would be in the rear leading Team Turtle. After ceremoniously handing out team name labels for everyone to adorn their chests with, we set out on our adventure.

Our route began along Jackson Creek. As we headed up along the creek, it soon became apparent to those who had not been here before as to why they were playing follow-the-leader: Within the first mile there are no less than eight trail intersections that would befuddle the uninitiated. Although detailed trail maps are available and the trail is well signed, its way too easy for new hikers to hesitate at each and every intersection and wonder which route to take. And this is why we pre-hike, boys and girls.

As Glenn, whose radio callsign was Eagle Eye, led his eagles swiftly up the path, trail sweeper Missy, aka Eagle Claw, ensured no little eaglets strayed off course. Except for the time Shannon left her hiking poles back at a bridge, no other oopsies would take place the remainder of the hike.

With my callsign of Monkey See, I entrusted Monkey Do, otherwise known as Rheo, to see that none of the monkeys monkeyed around and got lost. Sadly, I had only brought one banana for myself, leaving the rest of my troop to forage for their own food.

The much smaller group of Team Turtle, led by Turtle Head, consisted of only Richard, Chuck and Michael. It was determined before the hike that the trail sweeper role, which would’ve been Turtle Back, was not required for the small team. Going at a slower pace, Richard does what Richard does, which is photography. Looking back now, his callsign should’ve been Snapping Turtle.

And to no one’s surprise, this hike would be filled with a multitude of animal puns, jokes, and jabs. Yep, we were really behaving like animals by the time we were done.

We transitioned from following Jackson Creek to hiking alongside Norling Creek. Heading up, we took the Shade Creek Trail and eventually connected with the Atsahu Trail. All teams met at our first rendezvous point, the Norling Mine. From here, it was easy walking down what was really an old road. A few more trail junctions and we were at Twin Peaks Saddle. From here, the trail up to Upper Twin Peak is only 1/3 of a mile, but deceptively steep. Team Eagle, in usual fashion, was at the top in no time at all, while Teams Monkey and Turtle slowly trudged their way up the sheer path, stopping to catch a breath every few hundred feet or so.

A well-deserved lunch break was in order at the top, with hikers from each team catching glimpses of Mount McLaughlin off to the east, rising above the valley floor. With all the eagles, monkeys and turtles gathered in one spot, it was like attending a triple-header rock concert. (See what I did there?)

After the animals were fed, it was time to herd them downhill. The trail heading down took us past El Patron Madrone, an impressively huge madrone tree, and then through Mountain Mahogany Meadow. We hit the Owl Hoot, Boulder, and Ol’ Miners’ trails before arriving at the Handsome Mine. Here, everyone got to peek into the dark mine and get some photos with themselves next to, of course, the Handsome Mine sign. After posing for a group photo, the teams continued down the trail, eventually coming out at the road which we drove in on. A short walk along Jackson Creek again brought us back to our starting point.

All in all, this turned out to be a lighthearted hike, and everyone enjoyed the animal-themed event. I’m a believer that Team Monkey had fun, Team Eagle lived life in the fast lane, and Team Turtle was happy together.

Disclaimer: Although reactions to my bad puns during the hike may have hurt me, no animals were harmed in the making of this hike.

More pictures on Richard O’Neill’s Flickr page

Read more about this hike on Richard O’Neill’s blog, Richard Hikes

Pictures below by Richard O’Neill

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Sunset Bay and Cape Arago – February 5, 2022

Hike coordinator: Cleve Moss

Narration by Cleve Moss

This was my first attempt to lead a hike. I had been challenged to lead a hike, as I attend many of the hikes and look forward to them. I had hiked from Sunset Bay to Shore Acres many, many years ago and have wanted to go back again, but had not. And so, I thought if I choose this hike then this would get it off my bucket list.

Thanks to Richard O’Neill for offering information about the trail condition. He had contacted a friend from the Southcoast Striders club, who reported trail closure on the portion of the trail that went by the WWll Bunkers due to trees across the trail. But the lower leg going out to Cape Arago was open.

We left Roseburg with 14 hikers, and 4 others said they would join us at Sunset Bay. The Southcoast Striders asked if they could join us and showed up with 13, making a group of 31 eager souls wanting to see the beautiful foamy, jagged coast line, along with what could be seen on the horizon.

As with any hike on the coast during the winter, the weather is always of concern. As it turned out, it was a wonderful sunny day, with a little breeze. A heavy shirt or light jacket day.

I was trying to figure out how I was going to lead this hike, as there were many who knew the trail better than I, so I pointed at the trail head and gave the instructions to take your time, plan on eating lunch at Cape Arago and “Have Fun.” And away they went. I ended up not leading the hike, but was the last one, with everyone ahead of me. I was not too concerned, for how could you get lost on this hike? Too far in either direction and you either run into the road or fall into the ocean.

As we climbed up to the view points over looking Sunset Bay, the large group of hikers had spread out into several smaller groups. Some groups moved right along while others took their time drinking it all in. The tide was low and going out, making everything seem calm. On the horizon there was a large ship that seemed to be anchored, perhaps waiting for particular conditions before crossing the bar into Coos Bay. There were a couple of small fishing boats out on the water. Cape Arago Light House shined in the sun. Those that like to take pictures had many opportunities, always trying to capture the moment.

The trail skirted around cliffside edges, overlooking the rocks and ocean below. It took us to Shore Acres, and then down past Simpson Beach and to Seal Lion View Point where elephant seals could be seen and heard. Many strained the horizon to see a whale spout, but none could be seen today. We crossed the road and followed the trail that would take us to Cape Arago. When we arrived at the picnic area, the faster hikers were already sitting around tables, enjoying each other’s company, the view, and the nice warm sun, all while having lunch.

On the return trip it was noticeable that the tide had changed and was headed in. Waves were now starting to crash, throwing foamy water into the air. That is what we like to see along the rugged Oregon Coast. That is what makes this hike a favorite for many: White, foamy waves crashing into the air, seals and sea lions, sea gulls floating in the air, the possibility of seeing a whale, ships on the ocean. To be enjoying the outdoors, breathing and relishing the scenery with friends, some of them new, and some we had not seen for a while. It was a good day to be on the coast, and everyone most certainly had “Fun.”

More pictures on Richard O’Neill’s Fickr page and Lane Harris’ Flickr page

Read more about this hike on Richard O’Neill’s blog, Richard Hikes

Pictures below by Richard O’Neill

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Siltcoos River and Taylor Dunes – January 22, 2022

Hike coordinator: Lane Harris

Narration by Lane Harris

Last summer, I explored the Siltcoos River along the Waxmyrtle Trail. While trudging through nearly a mile of deep, soft sand where every step felt like 10, I thought to myself, hey, I bet this would make a great club hike! Actually, the Waxmyrtle trail which meanders along the river is quite pretty. And tying a beach walk into the whole thing appealed to the side of my brain which likes to create hikes that the club will thank me for later. Or hate me for, depending on how much they like hiking in deep, soft sand. And they thought my trail puns were bad!

There was a chill in the air when the 15 of us arrived at the Stagecoach trailhead south of Florence near the Siltcoos River. With clear skies above us, we began our hike with a casual stroll on the Lagoon Trail which circles Lagoon campground along the shores of Siltcoos Lagoon. I don’t know for certain, but I’m pretty sure not a lot of thought went into naming the aforementioned lagoon-themed places. At any rate, it was just a short warmup to get the blood flowing in preparation for the rest of the hike.

After the lagoon loop, a short walk across the bridge led us to the beginning of the Waxmyrtle Trail which starts near, you guessed it, the Waxmyrtle campground. The trail runs along the riverbank for a short distance before a steep set of stairs leads hikers to several birds eye views of the river from above. After a short distance, the trail takes an abrupt turn away from the river and spits hikers out onto a sand-filled access road heading towards the beach.

This is the part of the trail that last summer gave me the cruel inspiration to create this hike, as this was the “deep soft sand” portion of the hike. However, much to my surprise, nature’s elements had created just the right amount of rain to sand ratio to form a rather pleasant solid surface for boots to tread upon. No one else, with the exception of my wife who braved the initial sand trials with me last summer, would appreciate the ease at which they propelled themselves along this portion of the trail. At least the fear of an angry crowd hating me for making them struggle through deep sand had abated. But there was still that bad pun thing hanging out there…

Upon arriving at the beach, we gathered up and headed south. With the sun glinting off the beach and a light breeze in the air, it was difficult to accept that it was January on the Oregon coast. However, I have experienced so many pleasant January days on the coast that I’m convinced that, in regards to the weather, it is probably one of the best times of the year to visit. Just keep an eye on the forecast and schedule accordingly!

A mile walk down the beach and we had arrived at our next leg of the journey, the Carter Dunes Trail, which would take us inland. One stretch of the trail was like walking through a tunnel, with trees encroaching overhead, giving it a somewhat creepy but cool appearance. Again, the trail was quite comfortable to walk on and nary a grumble was heard. That was, until we had to climb several short dunes. Here, there were no trees to shade the sun’s rays from drying out the sand, and the soft sinking feeling under hiking boots did not go unnoticed. Thankfully, the hills were short-lived and yours truly was spared from an unceremonious burial under the dunes. Ok, so it must be time for a bad trail pun…

Inspired by all the sand surrounding us, I found myself blurting out a pun only my hiking buddy Richard would appreciate: What do you call a naked woman lying on the beach? Sandy! As the visions of head-shaking and the sounds of loud groans reverberated through my head, thoughts of that unceremonious sand burial quickly surfaced. I do believe that was my first and last pun of the day.

By this time, most hikers had shed their heavy jackets due to the warming air and the fact that we had just completed the ‘hard’ part of the hike, which was really not that bad. The trail dropped us out into Carter Lake campground, which was closed for the winter. We walked on pavement towards the trailhead near Hwy 101 and proceeded onto the Taylor Dunes Trail. This trail makes a loop around a coastal forest and eventually loops back to the Carter Dunes Trail. We were now on a reverse course back towards the beach where it was decided we would break for lunch.

All hikers dutifully found a log to sit upon, as is the proper protocol when one prepares to dine on the beach. Conversations ensued about how nice the weather was, how peaceful the ocean looked, and how the sounds of the waves breaking upon the shore can put most of us to sleep. The scene was tranquil and relaxing, and if it wasn’t for the fact that we had to eventually get back to our vehicles, I believe many of us would’ve just laid there on the beach for hours until the high tide came and swept us out to sea. Alas, we packed up and made our way north along the shoreline.

In typical fashion, John walked barefoot in the shallows along the ocean’s edge as we slowly made our way up the beach, each of us kind of lost in our own dreamy state of a coastal trance. The old adage of “I love long walks on the beach” truly holds up on days like these.

With the beach walk behind us, everyone headed back inland on the Waxmyrtle Trail, arriving at our vehicles in the midafternoon sun, completing this 7-mile club-worthy hike. Breathing a sigh of relief, I was grateful that bad puns hadn’t ruined the hike. And, that I wasn’t buried unceremoniously in the sand.

More pictures on Lane Harris’ Flickr page

Pictures below by Lane Harris

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Oregon Coast Trail – January 8, 2022

Hike coordinator: Richard O’Neill

Narration by Richard O’Neill

Last year, in my never-ending quest to find a trail I’ve never hiked on, I wound up on a section of the Oregon Coast Trail that ran from Humbug Mountain State Park to a rather nondescript trailhead between the park’s campground and the nearby town of Port Orford. Part of the route was comprised of a decommissioned segment of the old Highway 101. As happens when I find a new trail, a club hike is sure to follow and so it came to be that 14 hikers followed me (even though I was hiking at my usual place in rear of the hiking queue) onto the trail.

The area had been pummeled by high winds the week prior to this day so I fully expected to find an entire forest of dead trees covering the trail. But my fears turned out to be groundless because the forest was still standing. The only sign of the past winds were small branches, leaves, and conifer needles strewn about the trail. The first half of the hike was through a woods comprised of myrtle and as always with these trees, the laurel-like scent from the leaves was intoxicating, particularly as the air underneath the trees was imbued with that very scent.

The trail followed Brush Creek for a bit before charging up and over a wooded ridge. Just about when the complaining about the grade was to start, the trail headed downhill, and all was harmonious between hikers and hike leader.

The second half of the hike was on the historic highway, and we traded dirt path for old pavement. The grade was uphill but mildly so and mottled sunlight reached us hiking on the pavement. There were a number of seasonal creeks and runoffs flowing across (underneath, in culverts, actually) the trail. The historic highway segment is 2.8 miles long, but we wouldn’t go that far (except for Brad, who missed the trail to the viewpoint where we ate lunch). At that viewpoint, we enjoyed a magnificent vista consisting of Port Orford Head, Humbug Mountain, a collection of islands known as Redfish Rocks, and the Pacific Ocean shimmering in the afternoon sunlight.

The sun dipped behind Humbug Mountain on the way back and the woods became cold and dimly lit. Twilight comes early in these parts, apparently. But now, 14 other members of our club can say they hiked this section of the Oregon Coast Trail so now I must find another new trail upon which to drag my friends upon.

Read more about this hike on Richard O’Neill’s blog, Richard Hikes

More pictures on Richard O’Neill’s Flickr page and Lane Harris’ Flickr page

Pictures below by Richard O’Neill

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North Bank Habitat – January 1, 2022

Hike coordinator: Brad Bishop

Narration by Brad Bishop

Imagine a hiking world, a world where the downhill stretches are making you breath hard. A world where you are praying to mush through muddy cattle tracks. A world where a practical joker running down the trail and yelling STOP! STOP! makes you automatically think someone has had a heart attack or broken a leg. Yes, you have entered the ‘Worst Hike Ever’ zone.

What started as a Christmas replacement hike with a tongue in cheek about being the worst hike ever, turned into an epic journey into the frozen, wild, wilderness of the North Bank Habitat.

I knew this hike would not be pretty. I figured the total uphill of Power Line Trail to the beginning of the Muddy East Boundary Trail would be enough to keep most ‘Sane’ hikers from starting their New Year off on the wrong foot. (get it?) But imagine to my surprise 14 crazy people wanted to spend the day after New Year’s Eve starting resolutions that may soon be afterthoughts.

The mood was jovial as we met to head to our destination. The forecast was no precipitation, and a chance of sunshine. As we headed towards our destination most of us were taken aback by the site of a white snow-covered monolith in the distance. Surely our hike was at a much lower altitude and besides the sun was shining on some of the peaks already. As we pulled into the parking lot there was much gusto about hitting the trail.

Starting up the Power Line, everyone was determined to have a great New Year’s Day as the sun was going to be warming us, the trail was icy but welcoming. After about a mile of steady climbing we started to get into some deeper snow, but the cattle had their muddy paths that most of us figured were better than the shallow post holes we were slogging through. Everyone seemed to be up to the challenge ahead as we climbed ever higher.

The views challenged the most picturesque scenes of the Alps, and with the sunshine many hikers were discarding layers as we continued our ascent. We were almost done with the worst part of the hike, or so I thought.

As we got to the junction of Power Line, Soggy Bottom and Blacktail, everyone decided to push upward to the East Boundary Trail. As we were at the ridge, I noticed most hikers were putting layers back on.

As we started our trek to the weather station, I realized we wouldn’t have the help of the beef anymore. As we started out on the East Boundary a deer was spotted as we were resting. It looked at us as if ‘WTF’ are you humans doing here. It bounded off nonchalantly. I hate deer. They make travel through wilderness look like a joyful outing in a park.

At this time, I was concerned as I had heard rumors of a mutiny because of deep snow. I took a poll of the hikers and all said to push on as we have gone too far to head back even though I did hear disparaging remarks about the hike leader.

As we pushed forward, we were post holing to our knees. I tried to rally confidence of our plight by singing ditties, but it just seemed to irritate my companions. Around this time, one of the hikers spotted a bald eagle laughing at us and it seemed to energize some of the downtrodden.

We continued with no other options. Everyone knew there was only one way out. Continue down the snow-covered trail. It was slow going. A few hundred yards to rest and blow your nose and continue on.

Finally, we saw signs of civilization (the parking lot). We all made it, even though a 7.5-mile hike took 5 HOURS. Some were not in a celebratory mood. We had some award-winning chowder and kitsch, laughed and vented, and chalked it up to “don’t doubt Brad when he says ‘Worst Hike Ever’”.

For the first hike of the year, remember: ‘The Outlaws of the Umpqua’ say, ‘Make the First the Worst’.

More pictures on Richard O’Neill’s Flickr page and Lane Harris’ Flickr page

Pictures below by Richard O’Neill and Lane Harris

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2021 Year in Review

Many trails, many memories…

Please enjoy this video recap of our year of hiking adventures!

2021 Year in Review: Friends of the Umpqua Hiking Club – YouTube

South Slough Reserve – November 27, 2021

Hike coordinator: Rheo Wheeler

Narration by Rheo Wheeler

What does one do on Thanksgiving weekend? On Saturday, there were only 5 of us who decided hiking was the answer. Liz, Cleve and I met at the courthouse and met Shannon and Jan at South Slough.

There was no sunshine, but just a drizzle here and there with gray cloud cover, not very picturesque. We enjoyed the downhill side and the various viewpoints along the water, and then made the trek uphill to the cars. The tide was out so there was no wildlife to speak of. We just took our time and enjoyed each other’s company. All told, we only hiked about 3-4 miles.

Pictures below by Rheo Wheeler

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Bolt Mountain – November 13, 2021

Hike coordinator: Lane Harris

Narration by Lane Harris

The morning started off foggy in Roseburg, but the forecast said it would lift as the day wore on. I was more interested in the weather near Grants Pass, however, and it pretty much said the same thing. Nice, we should have great views today!

To be honest, I was more concerned about losing hikers on the way to Bolt Mountain trailhead than I was about the weather, as the route there isn’t easy. There are no signs in Grants Pass saying “Bolt Mtn this way”. While it’s paved roads all the way to the trail, if you’re not paying attention to the road signs, you may find yourself in Jacksonville before you know it! To prevent this from happening, I handed out directions to drivers and navigators alike, hoping they’d appreciate the nice little pictures I grabbed from Google Street View, showing what each turn looked like with landmarks, etc.

The good news is I got many accolades for the very kid-friendly directions with pictures. That, and all hikers arrived safely. However, Missy and Michael did admit they took the wrong exit off the freeway, followed by at least one other vehicle who knew better, but decided to follow them anyway, as dutiful hikers will do. Hey, there’s nothing wrong with an impromptu scenic side trip through downtown Grants Pass!

With everyone accounted for, we set out on the trail! I chose to actually lead the first part, as I wanted to get everyone past a few confusing places due to a series of little trails that can be tempting to walk on. These trails stay closer to the river, which I’m sure are lovely to hike on, but we were here to go up! And up we went after a level half-mile had passed underneath our boots.

The climb up Bolt Mountain isn’t the hardest hike around, but it constantly reminds you that you are definitely going up, as the valley floor keeps getting further and further away as you round each corner and look down. Thankfully, the trail builders showed mercy and kept the grade nice and steady, never going too steep. This makes the 1200 foot ascent over the course of 3-plus miles very doable for most hikers.

As we steadily strode up the south side of the mountain, I had hoped the fog would begin to lift. Oh, we had some views of the nearby hills and such, but the views were nothing like when I had hiked this trail back in March. Maybe it would be clearer on the north side, which is closer to the top…

As we basked in the deep fog on the north side, hopes of a clear view from the top had all but faded. Was this the price to be paid in exchange for all hikers making it to the trailhead today without getting lost? Was it too late to make a sacrificial offer to the fog gods (yes, I just made that up) in exchange for clear views from the top? Apparently, the answer was yes.

The top of Bolt Mountain, even on a clear day, doesn’t quite offer 360 degree views, as some of the treetops obscure the views. But, you can see enough that you can consider it a worthy reward for making it to the top. Today, we would not be awarded ANY views, and the treetops would not be to blame. Today, the fog gods would have their way and force us unworthy hikers to eat our lunch under their cold, grey blanket of dreariness. Ok, so it wasn’t that bad, and it wasn’t that cold. But we definitely could NOT see anything around us. I even mentioned to the group that we only had to wait 2, maybe 3 hours for this fog to lift, and then we would get our views…. maybe. Unsurprisingly, my comment was met with an outbreak of laughter, you know, the kind that says ‘good luck with that’!

Saying farewell to the fog gods, we all departed the top of Bolt Mountain and began the descent downward. It was heading down that I began to realize that there were actually better views of the valleys below with each step I took. This was due to the fog not being as thick as it was at the top. I had mentioned to everyone before the hike to take in the views both on the way up and the way down, as the views on top may not live up to their expectations. Boy, was I ever right about that!

Upon reaching the parking lot, I mentioned that we will need to get this one back on the schedule again and hope for a clearer day, perhaps in the spring. I will have my trusty kid-friendly directions with pictures ready so no one gets lost on the way here.

Oh, and on our way back through Grants Pass, I got a bit turned around and we ended up taking an impromptu scenic side trip through downtown Grants Pass. But hey, I’ve heard there’s nothing wrong with that…

More pictures on Lane Harris’ Flickr page

Pictures below by Lane Harris

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North Umpqua Trail: Hot Springs segment – October 30, 2021

Hike coordinator: Coreena Gosselin

Narration by Richard O’Neill, edited by Lane Harris

We had hoped this would be a repeat of last year’s superb autumn hike but alas, this was more like winter. It has been raining for the last several weeks and the rain drops have knocked a lot of the leaves down. But while there were little leaves on the trees, the trail and forest floor were covered with them.

Most of the group of ten hikers proceeded past Deer Creek bridge toward Columnar Falls, which is technically on the Dread and Terror section of the N.U.T., but only slightly when approaching from the west. This was the turnaround point of the hike.

The day was chill and rain fell for most of the hike and we all agreed it was a grand hike!

More pictures on Richard O’Neill’s Flickr page

Pictures below by Richard O’Neill (and one by Rheo Wheeler, Columnar Falls)

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Cow Creek Trail – October 16, 2021

Hike Coordinator: Terry Andreucci

Narration by Terry Andreucci

We left the fog in Roseburg, heading south on I 5 toward Azalea and the trailhead. Beautiful Autumn colors were everywhere as we drove out Cow Creek Road. As we passed by Galesville Reservoir, everyone took notice of how low the water level was.

Upon arriving in partial sunshine, 9 hikers headed down the trail for a 7 mile out and back hike, taking in views of the beautiful old growth forest in the drainage of East Cow Creek.

This proved to be an eventful hike for a number of reasons. For one, the trail hasn’t experienced much recent use, and the vegetation has grown up along parts of the trail making for some damp pant legs. Additionally, a number of trees have fallen in the trail since last winter and walk arounds had to be used. And lastly, and most amusing of all, there were 3 creek crossings that required skillful rock hopping on slippery surfaces!

As we all returned to our rides, I was betting that there wasn’t a dry foot among us! All of this added to a wonderful fall day with fellow hikers, just enjoying Mother Nature.

Pictures below by Rheo Wheeler

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