Upcoming Events: Angel's Rest

Shayla and I have been previewing hikes for the upcoming
First Annual Gale Family reunion
We set out yesterday in search of
"Angel's Rest".
We did a bit of wandering as we tried to find the trail head.
But anywhere you wander in the Gorge is beautiful...
(Why is everything underlined and bold? I have no idea--and I don't have time to figure it out, so it stays!)
Here is Horsetail Falls:

We did eventually find it--so it will be much easier next time!

This isn't something you like to see at the beginning of a hike in the wilderness!

I asked the Deputy if there was a problem or if we could go ahead
and hike...he said, "Oh, there are about 20 bears on the trail, but don't worry about it.
Hahahaha."
Yes, he was quite the comedian.
He then said that it was a hiker with an injured knee.
Comforting.
I'm getting to the age where knees can betray you at any moment.
But, we set out anyway.

This little creek feeds a waterfall that you can barely see because of all the foliage.

A little taste of the beautiful views:

This is where the second set of EMTs passed us.

The guy's knee injury was a big gash--we came upon the blood after we had passed him with a crowd of Paramedics and his hiking companions. His knee had been bandaged but was still dripping blood and his sock was soaked as well.
But don't worry--It's a great hike and we'll all keep our balance and be just fine!

We crossed this ridge of rocks very carefully:

You might want to ask Shayla's opinion about the hike. About 1/3 of the way up she was murmuring. I tried to buck up her spirits with:
"Shayla, this is about the point we feel like quitting on every hike."
To which she replied:
"This is about the point where I feel like killing you on every hike."
To which I replied:
"I'll just step it up and stay a few paces out of your reach for now."

This makes it all worthwhile:

The hike back:

Almost done--
When we got to the car the temperature was 103 degrees!
We will pick a cooler day for the reunion hike.