Chanterelle in September

Chanterelle looking green

We last hiked this trail at the beginning of August.  I was surprised today to see how green the area still is, after more than a month of dry weather. In other years, I've only been hiking in the High Country it this season, but I fear my days of long hikes in the wilderness are going to be limited. Plus, I don't do well in the heat, and it's been quite hot. And we are so fortunate to have many local hikes like this one.

Looking down at the lake

We decided that the Chanterelle would be a good place to spend our Thursday, and it turned out to be very nice indeed. This view is about halfway to the viewpoint, looking through the trees as we climbed upwards on gentle switchbacks. The weather has moderated from the high temperatures of earlier in the week, but the full sun made it feel very hot when we left the shady tree-lined trail.

Melanie getting a good shot

On the way to this viewpoint, we ran into Al, who is hiking alone today, recovering from an injury. It was really nice to catch up with him, and it reinforced the good choice we made for today's hike. We visited with him for quite awhile before he went back down and we continued up.

Looking out before heading back down

Mel got this picture of me looking out at the sunshine, before we began our return journey. I've taken quite a few pictures from this spot, but today I am in it, looking out at the full sun we need to navigate before getting back in the shade.

Blackberry picking

While at the viewpoint, Mel snagged a few blackberries, some of which she gave to me to enjoy. They are almost ripe all over our area, and even though they are an invasive species (Himalayan), they sure are tasty! 

Honeysuckle?

The only flowers still out are these pretty orange ones, which I do believe are honeysuckle, but I could be wrong. I am not a good flower person, but I'm sure that some of my readers can enlighten me. In any event, we covered around five-and-a-half miles and went up and down around 1,300 feet of elevation. I am feeling good, as I sit at home in my apartment with a nice breeze flowing through. It was a great way to spend our hiking time together. Thanks, Mel!

:-)