Blue Lakes and Meander Meadow

Sunday, September 4, 1994
2:10 PM. Indian Creek

Looking up at the heights from the Indian Creek trail.

The pups and I left Seattle at about 7:30 AM this morning and were hiking three hours later. The drive up via Stevens Pass sure is slow, what with all the speed traps at Gold Bar, etc. We kept to the legal limit and happily passed through them all.

Once we got over to the east side, I was curious to see the burn damage as we drove by. This is the year of the “Big Burn.’ Over 200,000 acres decimated in the Entiat/Hatchery Creek infernos. The latter burned well into the Alpine Lakes Wilderness Area. There was only a little bit of the burn damage visible near Wenatchee Lake.

I am packing the Wilderness Experience pack again this year, even though it gave me a lot of back trouble last year. (I whine about that all the time, don’t I!) Prior to loading it up at home, I re-fitted it by adjusting all the many straps. It does seem to fit quite a bit better now, but ask me again in a few more days.

It’s a heart-warming, touching little family scene here at the moment. Mica’s snoozing at my feet. Pieper’s drowsing in the doorway of the tent, while Cayuse is grooming her filthy little paws next to my left side.

Piper? Cayuse? They’re my new babies! Australian Shepherd / Border Collie mix, they are littermate sisters that I got from a family down in Winlock near the end of May. As near as I can figure, they were born mid-April, so I have picked April 15th as their official birthday. (Won’t be able to forget that date, will I?)

Piper is splotched black and grey with a white chest. She has brown eyes. Cayuse, who outweighs her sister by about four pounds, is the prettiest puppy I’ve seen in a long time. She is mottled brown and tan with white paws and chest. Plus, she has blond stockings and eyebrows. She also has mixed gold and blue eyes. A real looker!

Both of these puppies are very smart. They picked up pack etiquette very quickly (this is only their second hike) and love wearing their natty little puppy packs. They’re quite the conversationalists, too. Mica and I can barely get a word in edgewise. This is one of the most social packing parties I’ve ever been associated with, that’s for sure.

Anyhow, back to the hike …

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