Big Rock, Big Rain

We hiked up into a cloud - which proceeded to rain on us for the next three hours. Just softer sometimes...What a cold, wet spring day.  It was not the easiest of hikes.  The hike started with an up hill climb off trail - about 800 vertical feet - to get to Big Rock.

Off to Big Rock - not raining here.

The push up the hill.

Up on Big Rock

On Bike Rock the group worked on the 'gutter ball challenge' in the rain.  Working together to move a marble from the top of Big Rock to the bottom.  The rain started to get heavy so rather than stand around a get wet, we hiked on - making the decision to continue up - not exactly sure where it may lead, but having a somewhat good idea.

 We - I did ask - decided to push to the top to find an old logging road which would connect us to the FLT rather than just dropping straight back down the hill.  This required bush whacking, a bit of blind faith, some luck, and persistence.  Not many groups could have - or would have - endured this hike with as much enthusiasm as this one.  It doesn't look that bad on the map.  If not for the rain and cold it would have been beautiful.  We found an impressive overlook at the top of a gully - all we could see was a cloud, but we all said the view must be impressive and we should come back.  Finding it again might be the trick.  We finally found the logging road (marked with the triangles on the map) and began the hike to find the FLT...

We were never really lost.  We just had not found the place where we knew where we were.  It was hard for me to enjoy this part of the hike as I was looking for that landmark I knew and wondering how the group was holding up..."everyone good?"The answers were always yes, lets keeps going.  As the rain fell even harder we came down on a series of old foundations - speculations of an old town.  Weather and time prevented us from exploring.  It was just past this point that we came upon the Outback Inn.  A feeling of relief. A few moments out of the rain, chocolate chip cookies before what should should have been a nice stroll down the path to the cars on a sunny day rather than a wet, cold slog.  But conversations continued and faces were smiling as we made our way out. As one hiker said, you feel really good that you accomplished something - and something about a hot shower. Agreed.  I am looking forward to this hike on a good weather day.

The Outback Inn...finally

Map of our hike