Echo River Ranch

   Five Plus Three
   Equals Eighty

   
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Thursday - August 7, 1986 page 6

Most of the mornings ride had been made in silence, so when Debie informed the others that they had just rode around Potato Hill, they were surprised. They had expected to spend the night on the hill, not lunch. There was a registration box (the only one seen so-far) where the creek crossed the trail. Debie filled out a card, so that anyone calling the Ranger Station looking for them would find out that they were alright, but running late on their expected arrival time. More hiking scouts passed by, going south; some came back to investigate, but most lunched in the meadow below the creek.

Reviewing the map, the group decided to push on toward some lakes above Walupt Lake and find a night ccamp there. It seemed as though the group had made good time and cocme quite far in the morning. They finished off most of the bread and the peanut butter and jelly as they laid around in the sun. Stopping for lunch was as much a break to eat and rest from riding, as it was to breathe fresh air.

Although sitting in the shade of the moist meadow, they soon became bored and eager to continue. They packed up the horses again and headed for night camp. The north face of Mt. Adams could be clearly seen and most of the trail remained at a faily even altitude as it crossed a variety of forest, rock, and meadow. But later in the afternoon the trail began to climb, thereby offering new magnificent views.

The trail came over a ridge and suddenly the riders could see Walupt Lake. It laid in the bottom of a huge basin and was a deep bluish-green in color. The trail began to wind around some pretty steep slopes, the steepest and scariest so far. Pam kept telling Debie to get pictures, but the most breath taking views were on the most vertical slopes and Debie was too scared to stop unless the ground was fairly level.

They arrived at the first lake just after 6:00, but it had been decided to attempt to reach the far lake. From there, the plan was to get up early and ride to Sheep Lake for breakfast, ride to Snowgrass for lunch, and actually make it to Berry Patch by Friday evening. Kiki remembered when she and her Father had hiked the area and kept insisting that the second lake would be full of mosquitoes and that there would be no grass for the horses. But Debie ignored her warnings, in hope she may be wrong, and refused to let the group waiver from the set destination.

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

   
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