Did you notice the guy on the right with a gun slung on his shoulder? I really enjoy it when a hunter appears while we’re at the trail head waiting to start — reminds me that I need to pay extra-close attentionOur regular hiker Katharine has been laid up for more than a month recovering from surgery on a severely torn shoulder. She must keep her arm completely immobile, but she’s managed to learn, for instance, how to put on her yellow slicker with one hand. She can now accompany us on road walks, but it’ll be quite a while before she can get back into the woodsThe atmospherics were fantastic — misty, drizzling, very dark, a little raw but not excessively so
The steep stairs at each end of the rim trail are closed for winter — using the road isn’t as picturesque, but it’s actually easier, and a little quicker too
