Queens River Eclipse Trip 2017 Day 5

Not a lot of space to pitch a tent, but I made it work.

The morning air smelled of smoke.

And smoke misted the distance.

These really look like blueberries, but until I can positively identify them, I must leave their tempting blue roundness alone.

Not exactly ideal trail for a healing ankle sprain.

A distant waterfall along the ridge. 

More of those "donkey roller" rocks on the trail.

Another waterfall, with an interesting artifact. 

In this close-up, you can see the huge boulder stuck in the channel. 

I know it's not a long trek, but I'm really tired of hiking slower than Ambrose.

I hope a formal reroute gets in place here for next year. The current one is a bit difficult to parse. 

If we had approached the crossing from this side initially, we would have been momentarily fooled into thinking the Queens River had dried up.

Instead of merely shifting its course by about 20 feet laterally. 

Getting closer to the last ford - the last time Ambrose will shuttle my pack across to protect my ankle.

This uprooted tree now marks the crossing. I initially sat beneath it to wait for Ambrose to make his trips, but then I looked up at the rocks held precariously in place by dead roots and dirt and moved out of the potential line of fire.

Maybe next year I'll bring an ax out and spend the day whacking my way through this.

Now that's more like it - soft grass, nothing too tall to hide rocks in. So of course the trail doesn't stay like this long.

One last tricky section through the bog, then it's easy trails.

Ambrose climbing up to the high road reroute. 

I should be in front! I'm supposed to be the hare in this pairing.

One last little stream crossing.

We made it! 

The water's much lower than it was back in June.

There are still far more cars here than what I consider normal for this trailhead.

The next day, while driving home, I was, as usual, keeping my eye out for wildlife beside the road. Now, usually, when I see what I think is a bear, it turns out to be a burned out stump.

Not this time.

From the safety of our cage - that is, car - we came to a stop to observe the bear. 

If he or she wanted to cross the road, they were welcome to do so without our roaring car interfering. 

Instead, she or he went behind some bushes, so we pulled forward to get a better look. As you do. 

This one's my favorite of the pictures.

And then she or he ambled up the slope, disappearing over the ridge and we finished the drive home.