Decompressing

Sleeping in until 9:30. A shower and hair wash felt heavenly. Oatmeal for two, hoping the milk was still fresh. Watching Haven while catching up on cache logs and reading my journal notes, and looking for fly fishing gear on the Internet. Emptying packs and sorting camping gear from fly fishing gear, and getting started on laundry. Leaving to cache about 4:30, and checking out a local pub for a sandwich and beer after finding three very evil geocaches.

Home after dinner to relax, I finally got my first look at the 160+ photos from the long weekend, fingers crossed they turned out the way I hoped. The weekend wasn't just about fly fishing. I set myself some goals about practicing with Manual mode. I've used it rarely with my Nikon, but this weekend I finally had the time to experiment when the photos didn't matter, and it suddenly clicked. I'm remembering what was second nature back in my early days with a Pentax SLR camera. Now I just need to keep practicing.

Torn...

I was torn between fly rod and camera today.

Water is a constant presence here... a deep emerald green pool that wraps around a point, gently growing more shallow until it spills over a shelf of stones and into a rocky corridor of rocks and splashing water, on its way downstream. Where it passes through yet more pools, a beautiful link of huge rocks joined by green water.

It's peaceful, and addicting, and I want to come back again.

In camp...

The water went on for an early morning cup of tea, and breakfast. It's nice that DW is doing the cooking this weekend. We love our antique white gas stove, especially when paired with modern hard anodized cookware.





We posed for a family photo, in our L.O.S.T. | 2016 t-shirts.






And then a few of our group packed up their gear and hiked out. One is starting a new job, and one has a homework assignment due on Monday. We were glad they made the trek with us, even if they could only stay one night.

A day hike in 90 degree temperatures? Bruce, Emily, and I opted out, deciding to stay beside the cold river. We fished, and I took a nap, and read, and fished, and soaked my ankle. The family of ducks (12 of them) floated past, and snoozed on the riverbank.

Tonight we cooked dinner, then walked down the river to fish. In the white water rushing out of a deep pool, I got my first strike of the weekend. But as much as he hit my dry fly, I couldn't hook him. But it was still fun.

Then we rigged up a table for cards, finished off the red wine that Mary brought, played Bull-shit and looked at the stars.

Family time...

I've waited for this weekend for a year: the second annual Mayer kids backpacking trip. We're hiking up above Staircase, up the Skokomish River.

I've waited eagerly. Even though I badly sprained my ankle just two weeks ago. And even though my pack weighs 28 pounds (not counting my Nikon dSLR, water bottle, bear spray, or Gorp... I didn't weigh those. Didn't want to know). And even though it's supposed to be in the 90's this weekend.



The chance to spend time with my sisters and brothers from DWs family is priceless. And so is the chance to fly fish without having to pack up and drive somewhere. To have the river just steps from camp, to grab my gear any time I want and wade out into the river and cast my line in.

I had to take it easy this weekend, to walk with a hiking pole, and not go too far. With the most beautiful deep green pool just off the beach where we camped, that wasn't a hardship. I sat in the sun and soaked my foot in the cold water, and fished, and took photographs of DW and his siblings.



There were two casualties today: DW broke the tip of his fly rod, and just an hour later, his brother broke his fly rod off at the handle. Luckily, two of the girls decided not to fish, so there were fly rods to share.

Trail food...

This afternoon, I worked on a quilt in my sewing room, with Madison curled up in the big wicker chair for company. DWs new jeans are marked and ready to hem, and nearly all the blocks for the latest quilt are ready to square up. Later, we started to organized food for the pack trip, thinking about how to manage bear wires and a stuff sack for stove and food. And how to make it through a night without my lip balm (it has to go in a bag on the bear wire).

I really want to dip into the GORP that Kathie and I made together, but so far I've been good.

Nine pounds...

Is it possible to have a nine-pound backpack for a weekend trip into the mountains? There's actually such a packing list, but I have to say I'm skeptical. Sleeping bag, half of a tent, pack, stove, freeze-dried food, ultralight cook pot and bowl, a change of clothes, a rain jacket (you never go into the mountains in the PNW without rain gear), a fly rod and reel, and a dSLR camera. That should about do it. I know that nine pounds is impossible. But I know my recently sprained ankle will thank me for having the lightest pack possible.

I'll try for fifteen pounds.

Twenty?

New boots...

Last month while hiking in an area that was once full of active coal mines, my Lowa hiking shoes gave up the ghost. The sole of one detached from the toe and just flopped around. Dave pulled a long piece of parachute cord off his pack and we jury-rigged a strap to hold it in place, then walked the mile or so back to the trailhead. The cord slipped and slid, and in the end, I walked holding the ends of the cord and pulling my foot up. Very awkward, but it got me back to the Pilot.

I thought about making do with my old (1972) leather REI hiking boots, which are still comfortable but weigh about four pounds. An hour of walking around the house in these 1973 boots convinced me to look for something modern. In the end, I chose hiking shoes made by Keen. DW bought a pair last year and loves them, and I love the tread and stiff soles, and the high arch nestles right up into my equally high arch. Instantly comfortable. I can hardly wait to take them hiking.

On the way home we stopped in at REI, and as we headed for the door with our small bottle of boot waterproofing, we paused to look at a tent set up in the entrance. It's an oblong dome style, mostly mesh with a rain fly, a door on each long side, and a pair of vestibules. Tempting... So once at home, we checked tent reviews and measured our old Eureka Timberline tent. It isn't a lot bigger than the old tend, but what sold it for me is the side doors (we can both come and go without disturbing each other), and the vestibules (for pack and boots). So after a few hours of thought, we ordered one.

We'll be testing out a lot of new gear on our upcoming pack trip!