Black Canyon

Ethan & I decided to take a hike up Black Canyon today as a way to get out & get some exercise without getting too wet. We went right at the fork a ways beyond the old cabin. There was a little blue sky on the way up, but when we reached the ridgetop it was windy and cool with some drizzle, so we retreated a short ways down the canyon to get out of the wind & had lunch in a stand of Ponderosa Pines. It was cooler & cloudy on the way back down and about half way between the fork & the cabin a storm blew in and it was windy & rainy all the way back to the truck. But despite the bad weather (or because of it?), we saw more people on the trail than we have ever seen before: a group of 6 or 8 from Seattle trying to escape the rain, 2 other couples, and 4 bow hunters. But nonetheless, it was a very nice hike: the rabbitbrush was in bloom, the grasses are turning golden, and after yesterday's all-day downpour, the air was filled with the scent of sage.