Day 22: Surprise Party!

[Erin]:

We started down the trail early, the better to avoid the crowds. We hiked fast down the Stuart Fork, headed to the trailhead. We knew we would see Randy and Gabrielle and Ben, and that we would sleep in a cabin near Trinity Lake and take showers. We stopped for our "first lunch" at a quiet spot on the river, then got up and hiked another few hundred feet. I saw two people ahead - day hikers, a man and a woman. The man raised both his arms and started walking toward me and I was just confused... until I realized it was Dan (Emily's beau) and Natalie! Surprise!

We hiked a bit back on the trail with them to admire the view, then headed down to the trailhead.

Such a nice path.



Bridges! Luxury...

The swirling river

Meadow

Me and my piney friend

Ceanothus

Upon arrival, we opened our beers and admired our gifts from Dan and Natalie (including polka dot tights and Big Foot figurines) and a few minutes after that Randy appeared, and we all headed to our cabin at Pinewood Cove. Ben and Gabrielle were there and we ate, drank, played Cards Against Humanity, and stared at a fire.

Note the polka dot tights. All the rage in the Trinity Lake region this summer.

Total miles: 10.8