Northstar

Map by Frank, pictures by Clarence.

Another inauspicious start. Our car waited and waited for Clarence, for whom we had just cleared the front seat. We looked around and noooo Clarence...so Tiana called out the window to him. No answer. As we drove up 20 we realized we did have Clarence's backpack so we turned around and went back to the meeting area. There was Clarence's truck but noooooo Clarence. Remembering that our brother-in-law had once fallen off the side of the road while peeing, we decided to search the areas to the side where we parked the vehicles. Nooooo Clarence. So back up 20 we went, worried to death that Clarence was still somewhere nearby - a payphone at Safeway? Do they even have those? We turned on Clarence's phone and discovered he had a number of the hikers. So we called them all but no one answered. We were still disparing over leaving him until right before we met the others, when Cyndi called us. A very nervous ride. (Clarence maintains he TOLD us he was riding with Cyndi. But none of us heard him. Next time in writing, please.)

Okay - we're all together now!! Nineteen of us: Laurie, Mary, Priscilla, Jo, Tammy, Tiana, Stan, Clarence, Cyndi, Karen, Maureen, Frank and Ellen, Jeff, both Marilyn's, Barbara G., John and Elly. Let's get our tickets! We marched up the steps, past people wearing NOT frumpy hiking clothes, and inquired at the office. What? The gondola is closed on Wednesdays during July? This is NOT funny. What to do? We decided to hike up the ski run and go laterally to Sawmill Lake at mid-level. Clarence went to get the maps and was informed that the area was closed and we were not to go hiking there.

Unphased, we continued on up and were never bothered. Beautiful scenery? Hardly. Very disturbed ground - like someone who went haywire with a bulldozer. When we got to Sawmill, we discovered it was driveable, hence a few fishermen in the small, muddy, dammed up lake. As we sat on rocks or in the woods, we were treated to a Western Tanager flying back and forth as well as a large trout swimming right under us.

To add more mileage, most of us circled the reservoir before heading down to rendezvous with the others at Starbucks. On the way we stopped at a large but empty pavillion to regroup and Maureen treated us to the moonwalk in honor of Michael. Clarence did too. Sort of. All told we hiked about 5.25 miles.

Northstar seemed like a big investment for so little to do on the mountain during the off season. There was a giant chess board, and checker board. People rollerskated around a rink. Some kind of bungy jumping thing was up on the hill. A large sandbox sported toys but no one was using it. There were ice cream cone chairs in front of the ice cream store where they not only didn't offer cones but charged $4 for a tiny "baby" dish of ice cream.

Next week we are talking about a trip to Summit Lake. Please feel free to put your favorites on the list. Hint: there is a comment button on the blog. But an email will do and I will add your comment. Please read John's comment below (when he adds it).