We had fourteen people from three groups, Leavenworth hikers, Light Footers, and Claudia Johnson's group, on the birthday hike for Jean Vanderlinden and Barb Hutchens. I hadn't realized that it was Barb's birthday also. We had seven in each car: Jean, Kirsten, Robin, Raedine, Peggy, Diane, and myself in one car. Denise, Gloria, Barb, Candice, Cathy, Lisa and one other who's name I don't remember. It was a nice easy hike, we started from Wellington and headed toward Martin creek trail head. The other group started at Martin Creek and headed toward Wellington. We met at Windy Point and had lunch. Lisa carried a small cooler with a coffee drink and brownies for everyone. There were also ginger cookies. It was a pretty decadent lunch. We posed for group pictures. Sorry gang but, I didn't get a group picture.
Then we headed back to the appropriate cars. Robin and Raedine hiked ahead of the rest of our group and when we got to Martin Creek where Jeans car was parked, Robin and Raedine were not there. We spent almost two hours looking for them and were getting ready to really panic when they finally showed up. They had taken a wrong turn and ended up at the Scenic trail head (a new trail head about three more miles from Martin Creek) turned around and went back to Martin Creek. Thank god they were OK and we found them. We didn't even know Robin or Raedine's last name as they were part of Claudia's group. We all had a good laugh (I think to relieve our anxiety) and headed home. We saw lots of pretty flowers along the trail, ate lots of salmon berries and a few of us got nettle stings.
Jean and Barb enjoying the coffee drinks that Lisa brought along. Really, there was no alcohol in the drink, though looking at Jean here, you begin to wonder. :-)
Some gorgeous paintbrush along the trail.
All along this trail we saw bear markings on trees. Bears will do this to mark their territory and also to find insects to eat.
Some interesting eerie views of the collapsing snow shed tunnel.
