Blue Lakes and Meander Meadow, page 21

Monday, September 12, 1994
Day 9. Esmeralda Basin. 6:20 PM.

Esmeralda Basin from Miki's Balcony

We hiked out of Indian Creek with no remarkable incidents. Except about 1/2 to 1/3 mile from the parking lot there are some very fine examples of old-growth cedar and fir. I stopped to take a picture of one huge old cedar. See – this is what the world is coming to; that someone like me, who has lived here all my life and spends a fair amount of time in the mountains, thinks it's important to take pictures of trees to show to people who have never seen an old-growth tree in their life and never will, except vicariously in their living room. I'm going to up my annual donation to Greenpeace.

As we got to the parking lot there were two rigs deramping some mighty fine looking horses. A woman, mid-30-ish, wearing a flowery long skirt was so taken with the puppy pack train that she had me put Mica's pack back on so she could take our picture. I looked around and the dark-haired man was doing the same. Gee … Wer'e a tourist attraction!

They were headed up to the Napeequa, so that confirmed our Esmeralda basin destination.

We drove out, taking the backroad to Plain and entered Leavenworth through the back door. I just couldn't bear to go through Tumwater Canyon and see the full devastation of the Hatchery Creek fire. I'm so glad we went up to Lake Augusta via Hatchery Creek last year. I remember the fine little isolated grove of aspen just a couple of miles up the trail. They’re probably nothing but cinders now.

I shopped at the Leavenworth Food Giant –Bavarian motif, of the course! I bought puppy chow, beer, potato salad, Fritos, cheese, a big pop to drink right away, flashlight batteries, matches, shampoo, and some little Swisher Sweets.

I pigged out on the potato salad for dinner, yet could only eat half of it. I closed up the plastic container, wrapped it in the nylon tent sack, and placed it at the foot of the tent on the dog packs, next to my stinky boots. The idea of course being to prevent some resourceful animal from stealing my deli-treat. For good measure, I peeled off my fetid socks and laid them over the potato salad kitbag. If that doesn't mask the smell, nothing will!

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