Familiar Ground

Heading north from Willamette Pass this morning, I was on familiar ground past Maiden Peak, Waldo Lake, and the Taylor Burn – all places I’ve looked for birds in summers past, and close to home. Today, my mission was a bit different: to hike 25.7 miles.

All went well, and my knee felt great – except for an unexpected shin splint at the end of the afternoon, it was a solid day. I even added two birds to my trip list, Barrow’s Goldeneye and Varied Thrush (#166 and #167), before camping by a mosquito-infested lake a couple miles into the Three Sisters Wilderness. Hoping for more of the same tomorrow.