[bobbi]

i sent pics onto trail talk, too, and wanted to add more here. anyway, thank goodness for webcams! it was foggy and dreary in port angeles but checking ONP's webcam, it was sunny up the ridge. so, we took off at 8am, got to the trail head by 9. obstruction peak road is starting to show wear with washboard conditions. there were a few cars at the parking lot. mount olympus is spectacular! very, very few bugs...love late september hikes. we can see the fog hovering below and we smiled that we were in sunshine and warmth! by the time we got near grand lake we came upon some overnighters heading home. 3 school age kids proudly told us that they caught 11 fish in the lake! lunch on the log overlooking grand lake was surreal. after a half hour break, we headed down, down, down, past the bridge and the next, then it was up, up, up. the meadow is quite peaceful except for my occasional, i'm hot complaint, only to be reminded that i'll be soon complaining that i'm cold. we got to bobbi's brook (yep, i named it after myself!), grabbed a snack, and we contemplated the badger valley switchbacks! it wasn't too bad! i think we are stronger and fit with all the summer hikes. we were amazed that there were still many wildflowers on the trail. love the one we call 'old man whiskers or mouse on a stick'. anyone know its name? i think it's leftover from the anemone flower. a great 8 miler, a great day, then, OMG, the parking lot was overflowing with cars. we were glad we started the day early.

fall colors

serpentine trail

grand lake

?

meadow

bridge crossing

at bobbi's brook!

old man whiskers or mouse on a stick!

from switchback looking down the badger valley

switchback trail

mt. olympus

[Dayhike Mike]

Nice...fall colors look like they're starting to show! Looks like you guys had a good time...

[Quark]

Bobbi, yeah, the mouse-on-a-stick is a blown anenome. THe purpley-blue flower is a gentian, the harbinger of fall. I like the photo of you guys at your brook. Looks like a happy time I like photos of switchbacks!

[bobbi]

the fall colors are starting to show here on the olympic peninsula. thanks for the flower name...can't find it in my handy dandy book. BTW, there's a winery here called harbinger. next door is their other business, adventures in kayaking. wine and kayaking, hhhmmm. yes, a fun time... quark: i, too, love photos of switchbacks. reminds me of that old saying, no pain, no gain! i'll try to find a picture of 'bobbi's brook' when the wildflowers were in bloom, or i'll just have to go back next year! don't you love naming your own locales/plants/flowers? raining, breezing, icky, in port angeles, that's why i'm online,

[bobbi]

HJT...maybe you'll appreciate this cairn on a stick (on trail to silver lake, ONF)

cairn on a stick!