Thu, Jun 8 2017 - Joyce Kilmer/Citico Creek Wilderness (sequel) (View Original Event Details) Trip Leader(s): Mike Pawloski, Michael Johnson Participants: Michael Johnson, Mike Pawloski, Chris H, LindseyW, Kevin, Greg Pries, kelly

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Hi everyone,

Here's the pictures I took. I was going to write something up, but keep getting pulled away, so decided to at least share these. Hey, a picture is worth a thousand words! It would have started with something like, "And then there were 7...tromping into the forest, up the mountains to the bald, luckily evading thunderstorms all around in the lower valleys. Full moon casting it's rays of light through the fast moving clouds...fire ablazing, dog a licking...eating, telling stories, and feeling the power of the fresh air and cooling breeze. Waking to a beautiful morning, hiking the ridgelines to overlooks, hiking down deep canyons, through the thick forest, landing in a deep valley, strewn with giant fallen trees, swimming in cold mountain water, sawing and clearing the dead wood, building fire, cooking and boiling water, telling more stories, trail angels bringing gifts, more hiking, more sawing, more stories, with a long tough hike up one of the toughest trails near and far, over fallen giants, under fallen giants, grasping tree roots for purchase, pushing our bodies up that mountain, searching for water, up and over, daydreaming of getting over the next ridge, and on. Feeling the pump, feeling the power, feeling only what those who have traveled on the same path can imagine...embrace the suck. Or something like that...

Thanks again for joining. Really enjoyed the humor and stories of all. And hats off to the two new guys who joined us. Great addition to have Lindsay and Chris join, as well as Kelly. As for the rest of you guys, who haven't gotten tired of hanging with me in the woods, I salute you.