We took no photos of our campsite. We stayed at Granite Flat Site #52 and it was perfect! We made fried potatoes in the cast iron skillet and K warmed me up in the morning with hot chocolate and oatmeal. Simple food. Simple pleasures. You can hike directly from Granite Flat, but to save time, we drove a mile up the Silver Lake Road to this pullout. The colors are wonderful. Everything was perfect. Can't say enough about the weather, the company, the whole experience...we are so blessed.
Another sign. I may have mentioned this before, but we met in a cave, got engaged in the wilderness, and married in God's temple. That's a lot of symbolism!
This is the "secret entrance" to the Enchanted Forest. It's right in plain sight, but the trail is faint. There is evidence that it gets some use, most recently, by a horse. Most people probably hike right on by, staying on the main, well-established trail, never knowing what they're missing. We got engaged in the Enchanted Forest and so far, we've hiked back there at least once each year for a visit. This all added to our celebration of Autumn!
One of the things that makes the Enchanted Forest so enchanting is the water. Lovely.
The Oregon grapes are ripe! I usually eat 5-10 every year, but then I feel guilty for taking food right out of the animals' mouths. K has tried them, but says they need a cup of sugar to make them decent.
This is the "exit" of the Enchanted Forest. We know exactly where it is, but even so, when we try to get to the Enchanted Forest through this "back door", we often walk right past. By the way, I saw another snake yesterday right about here. K cannot believe what a snake magnet I am. I used to hike to petroglyphs with this woman who was close to the Indians. I would always see snakes while hiking with her as well. She suggested once, "Maybe the snake is your clan." Personally, I think I see them because my dad always taught me to look for them since I was a wee little hiker.
K and J. We had a magical time enjoying our walk in the woods.
Autumn landscape.
We were married in the fall. And these were our wedding colors.
Okay. Let's just make one thing clear. K and I focus on the beauty of the natural world while camping. And thank goodness, because folks, I do not look like I just walked out of an REI catalog when camping. I decided to document some of my personal camp fashions. If it doesn't make you chuckle, that's okay, because at least it makes me chuckle. Please note that I did have the sanity to avoid actually modeling this stuff. It's a good thing K never reads the blog. Let's start with the Blue. As in, old blue flannel night shirt. In fact, I've realized while typing that all of the following photos of clothing are items that I actually owned prior to marrying K. We're talking years, people. Which is why I feel perfectly fine about wearing this stuff while camping. Perhaps one day, I'll upgrade...
Red and green plaid. Yep. These are the bottoms to a pair of pajamas my sister gave me for Christmas once upon a time. I don't recall whatever happened to the top, but the bottoms have served me well for camping. Thanks, Sis!
Ranger green. I sleep with this on my head when it's chilly at night. They say a ton of your body heat escapes through your head, so a little hat is just the thing. Besides, sleeping in our tent at night is about the only time I can really wear this piece of the uniform...
Pink. These are sheepskin slippers and they are one of the best things my dad ever gave me. So warm, so comfortable! I have a very nice goosedown bag to sleep in, but when the temperatures are a little colder for spring and fall camping, I stick these on my feet at night. Cozy.
Yellow and green. Bright green. Flip flops are handy when tenting. Who wants to struggle with shoes and socks when you really need to get out to the restroom?
Red and black plaid. This is a zippered flannel shirt that I sometimes throw on as an extra layer. It's true.
This is the whole ensemble. Talk about Fall Colors!
Sigh. The end.
Beautiful colors!!
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