Monday October 4

 When I woke up early it was raining. After all it is p-day, which just seems to demand rain. Today for our walk we headed for the main post office. Grandma had a package sent the week we arrived here and it still hasn’t showed up. The tracking number said it was here on the island after 4 nonths but couldn’t be delivered due to an incomplete address. We were half an hour early so sat on the wall until it opened. Now my day went bad. The very day the package couldn’t be delivered it was sent on the return trip and was making record time. My fault. We headed home, not a pleasant start. We waited until noon to go see something so I cooked pork chops, mushroom gravy, and mashed potatoes. At noon the elders came we ate cleaned up and left for a place called fire lake, one of the few places left on the list to visit. It was still cloudy but at times we had clear views. It probably seems like there are a fair number of lakes we visit and that would be correct. For some reason they all look a little different and special. 

The nicest part for me was how the hillsides were covered in pine trees and with the feel of fall in the air I wished for one of my elk calls and found myself listening for the bugle of a bull elk.

We drove a little lower and closer and arrived at a trailhead going down to the lake. Looked like I could make it so leaving grandma with the car we headed down. They had cut really tall steps in the trail with wood fronts with stakes holding them up. Someone had done a lot of work. The steps were to high for me to walk down normal being 12 to 16 inches high, hundreds of them. They switched back down the slope and even one part had a ladder.

We arrived down it had a very rocky shore and we walked around a ways. The trail had large rocks to get around and it felt familiar like walking a hunting trail. We passed a sandy beach area and then a strange rock peir. No reason I could see I walked out and saw a few fish looking like suckers. 

I left to the get a head start on the climb out and the elders continued around the lake. The climb out was hot and sweaty and everything you could ask for. When I was about 25% of the way I saw two couples headed my way. Spaced a little apart before I reached the top one had passed me and the other was talking to me when I topped out.the steps were just as tall going up and I could feel it in my knees. Good thing I won’t be 66 until next week. A 66 year old would have had a hard time of it. We had to wait for a while for the elders to get back so I sat on the wall at the top two large buses of older german tourists arrived and were busy taking pictures and walking along the top. None of them went down the trail. We headed home and had our weekly mission zoom meeting then grandma had a zoom meeting with the senior sisters. I just stay out of the way. I love you all. Grandma says I need to change to we love you all.

11092 a low number as a lot of the distance today was vertical.