Going for a swim

Day 80 – 6/30/15
Just before Bear Lake Creek
Miles – 21.4
Total Miles – 1172.4 (PCT 1121.9)

We woke this morning to an aviarian symphony. I have never heard so many different birds singing at one time. There even was an owl hooting at regular intervals. It was fun to listen to. Despite the noise above us we slept late in the morning. Our camp spot was in a very protected area of pine trees and reeds next to Heather Lake. The spot was dark. Thus we slept late due to the lack of light. Once we realized this, we hustled to eat, pack, and get hiking. As we headed around Heather Lake. Will was busy eying the twelve-inch trout  swimming near the shore, longingly wishing to catch one. We are in Desolation Wilderness and it is absolutely beautiful. There is lake after lake, each one seeming more extraordinarily magically than the last one. The next Lake we passed was Susie Lake and then the trail turned and headed up Dicks Pass. We and C.C. kept passing one another as we climbed up the mountain. We first met C.C. and her husband long time ago after Idyllwild. They have recently separated as hiking partners and have gone their own ways. We took a break at the top of the pass. The views were amazing giving us a good view of the valley we would be hiking into. Far down below us was Dicks Lake. As we looked down to the lake far below us, we saw something swimming in the water. It would sit in one place and then dive under the water. It would stay down for a few minutes and then come up someplace else. We think it was a beaver. After our break, we hiked down to Dicks Lake. As we rounded the far end of the lake, we once again saw the animal swimming along the shore, but we were still too far away to tell exactly what type of animal it was. In the end we had to hike away without finding out. The day was hot and the trail past other lakes. At one of these, Little Bear and Aquanaut were cliff jumping and a little further down C.C. was swimming. At Middle Velma Lake, Little Crow and Will decided to go for a swim. We went out on a peninsula and dropped our packs. They both changed into different shorts and headed for the water. It was colder than they thought but that did not deter their desire to go swimming. Eventually they got completely in the water and swam over to a small island. On the way back Little Crow dunked her head. Once they got out of the water, they dried off on the hot granite slabs. The rest of the day we hiked our way down a valley. At one point, we stopped by a water source and met Etch-a-Sketch and Dino DNA. These two know how to eat on the trail. They were telling us they were going to have bratwurst and corn on the cob for dinner. They were the envy of all around them. Anyways it was too early for our dinner so on we hiked. One of the type of pine trees up here has bumps all over its bark. The bumps are pockets of sap. The kids like to poke them with their hiking poles to watch the sap squirt out. Little Crow did this and the sap squirted into her eye. Her eye really stung. Papa Raven had to rinse out her eye and it felt better. As the sun went down we kept hiking. We had a hard time finding a spot to camp and the mosquitoes were obnoxious. All light was nearly gone in the sky when we stumbled upon a spot that we could make due. It was not a great spot. . . it was not level at all and had lots of debris that needed to be cleared. It was not pretty either. It was in the middle of a dead tree graveyard. Nonetheless, we were thankful for the spot. It was our home for the evening. I (Mama Raven) am going to go to sleep dreaming of bratwurst, corn on the cob, cold crisp, sweet watermelon and a root beer. I am even imaging I can smell the bratwurst cooking.