Day hike in the Beartooths

P. and I hiked toward Timberline Lake in the Beartooths.  No, we didn’t get there, because I was too tired and too spaced out by the 8,600 foot altitude to continue.   Actually it was P.’s idea to turn around because she worried about me, but I was good with it.  We hiked 3.5 hours.  I thought going down was harder than going up.

The trail was steep and rocky, passing through burned out lodgepole and ponderosa.  Gunther ran ahead at first, but then he hung out between P. and me mostly.

We ate our lunch.  First on a rock, then on an old burnt log.  Peanut butter and jam sandwiches.  An apple.  I gave a piece of it to Gunther.

We forgot to bring water.  Gunther was okay because he found some rivulets in the mountainside creases.  Oh yes, it was cold and damp, especially at altitude, especially early.

Several groups of laughing teenagers with fishing poles pranced up the trail while P. and I sat on the log.  Their dogs were friendly and I worried Gunther would abandon us.  Someone fired a gun down below, changing my mood from fatigued to irritated.

Once down we headed for the Red Lodge summer fair and I ran into Gene Cetrone, Fb friend.  Good to see him in the flesh.  Even more handsome than his photographs and witty like his writing.  Also met his friend from Guatemala who cares about indigenous languages there.

A woman looked at Gunther and exclaimed, “Brussels Griffon!”  Made my day.