19-24 July North Cascades and the Final Sretch

For one last gasp of some thin mountain air, we head to the North Cascades (/Mt Baker) National Park.

We're going WHERE?

Alright... Enough of this...

Its much easier if you just drive up.

Only 16 feet more to melt and we can actually
hike the upper meadows.

In the meantime, back to the primordial forest.

The wildflowers kinda like a little forest fire action.

The last bridge to home.

From the Cascades we make our way to Leavenworth (Washington, not the prison) which is the Christmas Shopping Capital of the lower 48.  The traffic is bumper to bumper so I just make Val jump out the door on the run with instructions to return to the same spot in an hour, while I go take a nap in a Safeway parking lot at the edge of town.

Then a 2-day run to Boise Idaho for a visit with Val's very best high school Bud.She has to find her own way home from Boise while I continue on to Reno for my Navy Reunion.  Val seems to prefer the company of her long-time friend over the company of my crusty, cantankerous, sometimes a little off-color shipmates.  Go figure.

I'll probably do one more post to cover the reunion and the solo drive back from Reno to Downers Grove, but don't expect anyone but me will ever look at it. However it may be interesting to see just how much I can go to seed without the positive guidance of my loving better half.

Good night from Desert Rose RV Park, Fernley Nevada.

(After a splendid dinner of cold bake beans over hard boiled eggs with a side of cheese ball from Val's buddy Pat.)