Backpack Notes, Day 5

Fading sunset over Lake Mary

As always, you can read about the day in more detail on Bill's blog. The notes that follow are my own brief observations.

Our final day of the backpack trip was characterized by one mood: haste. Bill and Becca felt a lot of stress about getting home before it was too late, and so we got along at a rapid pace. That was fine, but by the time we reached the bottom of the trail it had taken its toll on our feet.

In the morning, a group of marmots and a single American Pipit were foraging in the field by our camp. We were also visited by a Gray-crowned Rosy Finch. That was the first of that high altitude bird we got a good look at all trip - a fact in sharp contrast to the species' abundance on our higher altitude pack trip last year.

Some of us were able to avoid removing our boots for the water crossings on the way down due to Dad's efforts at finding a way across. This didn't result in saving time, though, because he ended up slipping and falling in as he helped Becca across. I still appreciated not having to take off my boots, and while Dad dried, Libby and I watched a Junco fly-catching in a shaft of sunlight along the creek. There were also a pretty male Yellow-rumped Warblers foraging in the trees in the area.

Libby and I stayed the next night at the cabin, eating a yummy dinner of burgers at Burger's in Mammoth with Grandma, Grandpa, Aunt Carol and Uncle John. During dinner, we laughed at stories about embarrassing moments they'd experienced all over the world. Afterward, we crossed the street to the Village - where a band was rocking out to '60s and '70s classics. Aunt Carol texted Sierra and tried to see if she could find us on the webcam showing the plaza, but the camera was off-line for the summer.

That evening there was a spectacular sunset, so Uncle John and I hurried down to Lake Mary as soon as we got back to the cabin to see if we could get a picture of its fading splendor. Unfortunately, it was mostly dead by the time we reached the shore, but I uploaded a picture hinting at its brilliance on Flickr, which you can see above.

Of course, you can see all of the pictures from the day on Flickr: Backpack Day 5 set.