​Some days, weeks, months ... can just seem so extra busy at times.

So one of my daughters and I decided to pop over to Lake Como for a bit after an appointment today. We didn't have a lot of time, but we took advantage of the chance we got to add a little sunshine and outdoor enjoyment to our day.

​Look for the little moments. :)

Wow, it's been a long time since I've posted! It's not been for a lack of things to share, as I've still been getting in some exciting and challenging hikes and backpack trips. It's just been a very busy summer and fall in so many different ways! Hoping to get back to regularly sharing more mountain adventures with you again soon. As for now, here's a couple of pics from today's quick little hike in between errands. Sometimes you just gotta squeeze in what you can, when you can. Get out and do a little something fun! :)

​We finally set out for a hike up North Lost Horse to see what we could see from the ground. (We've overlooked this canyon from above on previous hikes up to Kidney Lake Crags and the top of East Camas Peak.) We weren't sure how far we'd be able to get, as we were expecting the trail to not be very well maintained and to eventually peter out.

​The trail had some serious incline for a little ways in the beginning, but was in decent condition at that point. As the elevation gain lessened, the trail became quite overgrown and rough. We eventually had lunch in a rock field, filtered more water at the creek, and turned around when we got tired of bushwacking our way through the jungle with no destination in sight.

While not my ideal hike, nor one I would tend to recommend, we did have some nice views and got in a couple hours of fun exercise while marking another trail off my list. :)

Awesome views! :)
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Water and rock. :)
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Heading back down, down, down ... after we came up, up, up. :)
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​While it's been quite awhile since I last posted, I've still been getting out for some hiking and such. Just haven't had time to sort pics much with a lot of other stuff going on.

Here are a few pics from a little evening hike we did this week...
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Plenty of goat's beard gone to seed all around. Several other wildflowers in bloom right now as well. I didn't take time for many photos, but did include a brown-eyed susan. :) 
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Hanging out with the chipmunks and ground squirrels on this week's hike to
​Blodgett Overlook. May 2022.
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It's flower time again. Prairie crocus in bloom on the Larry Creek trail. April 2022.
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​I love to see the sandhill cranes! :)
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We saw this pair of sandhill cranes just outside the refuge last month. They are quite the interesting birds to see. This last photo is not up to par on the focus, but I wanted to share a pic of the two together, and they didn't stay close together for long.
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This male Brewer's blackbird entertained us while we hung out along the water on a recent Big Creek hike. That is, until we heard a couple of loud gunshots right behind us that caused him to take off somewhere else. I did get a few photos before he left. :)
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​Driving back from our "check on the owls" trip to the refuge yesterday,
I stopped in the road as I questioned,
​"Was there something up in that tree we just passed?"

Of course I had to back up to see, and sure enough,
there was a Canadian goose watching us from above. 
We always seem to see something somewhere. :)
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