Wildlife we saw: 1 chipmunk, 2 orange slugs

It went great. It poured yesterday, so I was doubtful about today, but even though we got caught under a few squalls on the way there, the weather was just fine--not too hot, not too wet, not even too cloudy, though it was mostly cloudy. The trail is incredibly well maintained.

On the one hand, I found it comfortably easy this year. Physically, I had no trouble with the 3 miles, 500 ft. elevation gain. Parentwise, David was no trouble at all. I remember all the years we had to cajole, make up stories, play find the mushroom, and I count my blessings that he trips comfortably up and down the trail. Rose was a little more trouble. She got into a sad headspace, which really had nothing to do with hiking and everything to do with transition. I figured out she needed attention, and she let me give her attention, and she got much more cheerful on the way back down. Oh, and the driving was no trouble. We listened to Goony Bird Greene, and I did not make one wrong turn.

On the other hand, I came home and collapsed, and I mean the can't make a coherent sentence kind of collapse. I really don't think I put out more physical excursion than a couple hours dancing, so maybe dehydration, all that concentrating on the driving and keeping kids safe and happy wiped me out.