Ptarmigan Ridge, August 18 2009

You know what I would like to do with the rest of my life? I would like to do this hike every day or so (weather permitting) and chat with people who ask me about Duncan. Because that was the best day ever.

We did not, as planned, go all the way to the end of the trail. Instead, we dropped down to the tarn to the south of the end of the trail. It was fantastically beautiful. The weather was great, and nobody else was there. Let the masses have their Camp Kaiser or Kiser Camp or whatever the book you have is calling it. I’d rather have an opal-like tarn at my feet.

This trail is great. You start high and in the open. No messing about in the forests. You can see a very long way. In fact, you can see the three-mile mark from the trailhead. There’s a nasty snowfield visible from the car, and you can see the trail across it. I was smart and went above it like nearly everyone else did. The three mile mark is just to the left of the end of that snowfield. There were other snowfields that were easy to cross and that allowed Duncan a chance to catch snowballs and roll around in the coolness.

The entire trail is out in the open, so you can see forever. All the mountains around, the valleys, the changing sky. It is hard to get your head around how big it is until you see another person in the distance. Pictures do not do it justice.

Duncan and I were both very tired after that since it was 10 miles, so we fell into the car and retired for the day. I managed to roll my right ankle about half a mile from the car, so I’ll be icing that and taking something for it very soon.

People in this building seem fond of sitting out on their balconies while speaking loudly on their phones about how important or adventurous they are and how they need things faxed to them. I’m ever so fascinated with them.

Beer bottle #34: “No wine-ing! Drink beer; be happy.”

Oh my god. I have a sunburn. How did that happen?

It is now time to eat the other half of the giant chicken burrito from Graham’s. Dang, they make a killer huge burrito.

Beer bottle #33: “Beer is about community, camaraderie, and collaboration.”