Emily and I got out for a frosty hike up Bear Creek today. We took our break part way up a rock field with a nice view of Sky Pilot and more. A beautiful day with sunshine up high, but a bit cold down in the shade of the canyon. Nonetheless, it was enjoyable. :)
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Sky Pilot, elevation 8818' ... one of my destinations planned for next year.

We were pretty close on our 2018 Big Creek to Bear Creek backpack trip with tentative plans on hitting the peak then, but when we were coming over Bear Creek Pass in lousy weather, I opted to leave it for another time to get down and set up camp sooner.
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The power of water rushing down the mountain is incredible!
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That water is moving!!
(To feel like you're there, watch it in fullscreen.)
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What better thing to do with a good friend than to go for a little hike to a special place by the refreshing creek to enjoy lunch with some enjoyable conversation, a little exploring around, and a bit of fishing? 

​I love the sights and sounds of water spilling and splashing over rock. Especially when it's combined with the solitude of having the place to ourselves, completely out of view from the trail.
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The shorter hike with lack of time constraints on this trip allowed more time to relax by the water doing "not much of anything" for a couple of hours. 
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Water and rock in summer means bare feet and fooling around.
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Dana enjoys sharing tips with the girls and showing them how to fish.
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Walking upstream a bit, I discovered a lovely little pool of water that had been hidden from view until I was suddenly upon it. It was completely round and even had a flat bench rock that was dry and curved around the one end to sit on. (As seen in the photo, there was also a large rock in the water if you preferred to be wet.)

​Needless to say, we had a great time! Every time we come here the water level has changed, revealing different lovely spots to hang out for awhile. I wonder what little gem of a place we will discover next time we come?
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