Miles today: 22.6

Trail miles sum: 1591.8

Trail location: 2274.1

Elevation: 5993

Spinning on the turntable: Trampled by turtles: Life is good on the open road

Have I mentioned how much I enjoy looking at the mushrooms that I can’t identify? So many colors!

The mosquitoes are still making their presence known in the water logged areas. I’m avoiding Deet as long as possible.

The water droplets on the foliage is great to look at but my shoes absorb the liquid as if they’re parched in the desert. Soon I have wet socks.

These mushrooms remind me of polished and lacquered wood. Absolutely no idea what they are.

I’m starting to think that Mt. Adams is the ugly stepchild in the Cascades. So beautiful, but ignored for the most part.

There’s still a plethora of blooming flowers but the blooming apex has passed.

This was my water fill up spot this afternoon. I’m guessing it was fifteen feet high. Behind me was a cliff.

The late afternoon hike was majestic. It was a seriously long day of climbing but the payoff was amazing.

When I think of hiking these are the kind of views I think about, not the eight hours of green tunnel hiking it took to reach this point!

I sat with two other hikers late this afternoon, Zinc and Sky, and discussed our lives. Each life very different, yet very similar. I enjoyed our discussions immensely. Perhaps it was the stunning vistas that allowed us to just relax and enjoy the moment.

Maybe, just maybe, we’re all more similar than dissimilar.