Sunny Day at Snowbird

Most of my skiing is done at Solitude Resort. I have a season pass there and with that pass, it entitles me to a few days skiing at other near by resorts. My neighbor, Pete and I decided to go up and ski at Snowbird this past Wednesday. What a day we had. We got there at the reasonable time of 11AM. We got a great parking place and got onto the Gadzoom lift. We took a couple of warm up runs off the Gad 2 lift and then went to the other side of the mountain and skied off the Peruvian lift for a few runs. We decided to take the Tram up and take a coffee break on the Summit. After that  we took in the beautiful view from the Summit and took a few pictures. We made a few more runs before we decided to call it a day. And what a great day it was.

                               Break a Rule, Pay the Price

 I don't ski on the weekends. Why should I? I am retired and I can ski during the week with no crowds, lift lines, or traffic. Well, this past Sunday, I bent the rule a little bit, or at least, I tried to. With encouragement from my neighbor, Pete, we decided that we could not pass up the foot and half of snow that fell Saturday night. The usual five minute drive to the mouth of Big Cottonwood Canyon took an hour and ten minutes. Every one was skiing today. We headed up the canyon and after a few miles we came to a curve. My car started sliding sideways right into the snowbank on the right. Even with four wheel drive I could not get the car out. The sheriff showed up and kindly pulled me out but also said I must go down canyon. With no argument we headed back down and went to breakfast. It was then I remembered my rule.

The next day was Monday. Hey, that is not a weekend day. I got to Solitude early and was in line before the lift opened. The rope dropped and off I went. There was still powder snow left from Sunday and about 3 inches of fresh snow that had fallen during the night. I got to the top of the lift and had to decide what run to take. I was up to the challenge

so I took Challenger. I am glad I did. The powder was soft and fluffy and I really felt like I was floating. I got down to the bottom and pushed the repeat button. I skied Serenity, Sundancer, Stumble, and Grumble. They all had great powder. Next I skied down Sunnyside to the Powderhorn lift. It was a slower lift but when I got to the top I headed to a run that we call "The Neighborhood". It was a run through gladed trees that almost always had good snow. This day did not disappoint. I had been waiting for my friend, Dick, to call me when he got there. I had skied almost a full day's worth when he called. We met up and I showed him all the great runs I had discovered. We debated wether or not to go to the Summit where we could ski Honeycomb Canyon. It had delayed opening so the patrol could do avalanche control. We learned that it had opened and we headed that way. We had to take a traverse and hike and climb to get to the deep powder run. We took a little short cut to avoid some climbing and it put us into some powder that was good but had already been skied. We skied down and when we got to the bottom my legs were gone. We now had to ski out the canyon. I followed Dick and I was moving pretty fast along the the trail when my right ski tip must have veered off and caught the edge of the trail. At that speed, I was quickly launched out of both skis and head long into the bank of powder snow. To my total amazement, I was all right. I checked to make sure everything was still connected and recovered my skis. One was in the trail and the other I dug out of the powder. I clicked in and skied to the lift where Dick was waiting. He said, "What happened?, Oh never mind, your helmet tells the story." I guess I had snow coming out of every vent and both ear holes on my helmet. Now it was time to head to the car and call it a day. And, what a day!

Panama Canal

                                          Cuba/Panama/Costa Rica

Diane and I had an overnight flight to Miami. We were both just getting over flu-like symptoms(or the real flu). The flight left about 1 am. We left my car at Sam and Kate’s and took Uber to the airport. We had upgraded to first class so after we took off and the lights went off, we both dozed off. In Miami we met the AHI representatives and were shown to our shuttle van. We were early arrivers so instead of going directly to the ship we were given a little tour of Miami. We headed towards downtown and went past Marlins Baseball Field. We went to Little Havana on Calle Ocho and then to the artist district. Here we stopped for coffee and doughnuts. After driving through South Beach we headed for the ship terminal to check in. After checking in we headed for the buffet line were I ran into Jimmy Simmons, a Beaumonter who used to live across the street from me in Minglewood. He was closer in age to Pat and he told me of some of the trouble they got into. He told me about Keith Carter who has become a renowned photographer. He lived next door and we called him Kippy. We went to our stateroom and rested until dinner where I ran into Patricia Adams and her friend Joette. After dinner, Diane did some reading while I went to a lecture on Cuban history.

The next morning, Friday, we arrived at Cuba. After a breakfast buffet at Discoveries Café we meet on the Cabaret Deck for our tour in Havana. The departure procedure consisted of checking out of the ship with your stateroom key card and then go through immigration with a metal detector screening, then we presented our passport and visa to the immigration officer. Next was the currency exchange where we got some CUCs(pronounced cooks). We then proceeded to the tour bus. Our first view was Moro Castle that was built in 1589 and overlooked and protected the harbor. Our next stop was The Great Statue of Jesus made of Italian Carrara Marble by Jima Madera. We viewed the La Carbona, one of the largest citadels in the Americas. We stopped at the Plaza del Revolution where Castro gave his speeches. There were two buildings there that had the likenesses of Che and some other Cuban revolutionary. Next we went to the Colon Cemetery where our guide gave spirited stories of Cuban folklore.  We were then dropped off at the flea market, Almacenes San Jose and walked back to the ship. After dinner we went to a movie about the Cuban Missile Crisis.

On our second day in Havana we took the Old Havana Heritage tour. We walked through squares dating back to the 1700s. We saw fountains, cathedrals and plazas. We stopped at the Melia Cohiba where they had Cuban Rum and Cuban Cigars for us. We drank the rum and took the cigars with us. We made our way back to the ship and settled in for the voyage to the Panama Canal.

The next day, the seas were angry my friend.( A Geroge Kastanza line from Seinfeld). No joke, there was a rough sea and some people were having a little trouble. Diane and I fared pretty well. This day would be followed by another day at sea but fortunately the water was calmer.

On this day, Tuesday, I think, we would transit the Canal. We arrived at 6 AM and went past a new bridge that was under construction. It was still dark and the bridge and canal were lit up like Christmas. We took on the pilots from the canal who would navigate us through. Ropes were handed off to some guys in row boats. They used these ropes to hook up to the “mules”, the electric cars that would pull the ship through the locks. The ship entered the first lock and the gates(built in 1914) were closed. The lock was then filled with water to raise the ship to the level of the next lock. This was repeated two more times to get us to the level of Gatun Lake. Gatun Lake was formed during the building of the canal by building a dam to hold back the Chagras River. The lake provides 32 of the 50 miles of the canal. The dam built to form the lake is an earthen dam  and the materials to create it came from the Culebra Cut. Once we were on the lake and free of the mules, we traversed the lake until we came to the Culebra Cut, now called the Gaillard Cut. Digging out the Culebra Cut was one of the most difficult challenges of building the canal. It was subjected to many, many slides down into the just excavated cut. The slides covered the rail tracks used to transport the huge dredging machines. It would all have to be dug out again and then it was often subjected to another slide. The solution was to dig out the walls to decrease the slope of the side walls. It required the removal of enormous amount of material. We continued on until we came to the Pedro Miguel lock that now lowered us to a smaller lake, the Miraflores Lake. This lake was 1.5 miles long and took us to the Miraflores Locks that lowered us down to the level of the Pacific Ocean. We had now exited the canal after a transit of time of 12 hours. We anchored that night in the Fuerte Amador Harbor. It was truly an exciting day.

The next day, Wednesday, we took tender boats from the ship to the shore. Those of us from the ship who were in the Lamar group got a very special tour. The president of the Panama Canal, Jorge Quijano, was a graduate of Lamar and he agreed to host us(about 40-50 of us) for the day. We were privileged to be able to tour the brand new locks recently completed that allow the largest container ships in the world to pass through. The construction of these locks and their operation is a modern day engineering miracle. The gates are double sliding gates that have a buoyancy to allow the gates to slide across the canal. We visited the computerized control room that had the feel of an air traffic control tower. After this private tour of the new locks, which are not open to the public, we loaded back on the bus to travel to Mr Quijano’s residence. As administrator of the canal, Mr Q is entitled live in the House from Culebra Hill. This house originally built at Culebra Cut to house the Administrator of the Canal. The first to live there was John Stevens. George Goethals resided there after he succeeded Stevens. After the canal was completed, the house was moved to its present location in Balboa near the Pacific terminus of the canal. It cost nearly as much to move the house as to build it in the first place. Since it had great historical significance, it was well worth the expense. The governors of the Canal Zone and later the administrators of the canal resided in the house. We were greeted at the house by Mr. Q and treated to a fabulous luncheon and reception on the grounds of the house. It was located atop a hill with a great view. The house was magnificent. After we left the Culebra House we went into town(Balboa) and toured a museum that depicted the history of the building of the Canal. We then went back to the ship to prepare for our excursion that night to Old Panama. Panama Viejo was founded in 1519, the first city on the Pacific coast. We were bused into town for a performance at the Old Panama Cathedral Tower. The folkloric performance depicted the rich history of the city and the Panamanian people. It was then back on the bus to return to the ship, which would sail that night for towards Costa Rica.

Thursday was a day at sea. We explored the ship. We found the library, the computer room, hung out at the pool and ate. It seems we were constantly eating.

On Friday, we arrived at Golfito, Costa Rica. We did not have an excursion scheduled so we walked into town and found a taxi driver who offered to give us a tour. We saw some beautiful sights and then suddenly the driver stops the car and jumps out shouting”Monkeys!”. There were a bunch of Capuchin monkeys at the side of the road. We fed them bananas and I took a lot of pictures and videos of them eating out of Diane’s hand. We continued our tour stopping on a hill overlooking the bay and our ship. We made it back to the ship to have lunch with Mike and Elizabeth Petit from Beaumont. Mike graduated from BHS the same year I graduated from Kelly. We had several mutual friends including Curtis Comeau and Jimmy Fontenot. The morning we arrived at Golfito we saw about 12-15 sport fishing boats heading out for a fishing tournament. That night a reception was hosted by AHI Travel and then we had dinner at Discoveries Restaurant with Leon and Martha Hicks our new friends from Beaumont.  

Our ship traveled overnight to Quepos, Costa Rica. We had signed up for a white water river rafting trip on the Savegre River. We took the tender to the dock and loaded on a bus to Santa Domingo. There we donned life jackets, helmets and were given our paddles. Next, were the safety instructions. We were 4 to a boat with a guide. In our raft were a couple of guys from South Carolina. They sure talk funny! It was kind of a shallow river with mostly mild rapids. It took about two hours and they had watermelon and pineapple waiting for us at the end. When we got back to the dock, Diane and I found a Sports Bar and we had a bite to eat. When we got back on the ship we got ready for “White Night”. They had decorated the pool deck in mostly white and we were supposed to wear white as well. They had prepared a fabulous meal, everything from lobster to steak to salmon with all the trimmings. I had crepe suzette for desert. There was entertainment as well. It was a fun evening.

On Sunday we were scheduled to go a beautiful white sand island for a day of snorkeling, beach activities and lunch. When we got to the dock, the wind was blowing so hard that the excursion had to be cancelled. We were disappointed but made up for it by hiring an English speaking guide to drive us around Puntarenas and show us the sight. It was a fun afternoon. The next day we would be leaving, very early I might add. So we went to bed early.

Monday/Departure Day. We were to meet in the Casino Lounge at 5:00 AM. We had packed the night before and had placed our luggage outside our stateroom. They had coffee and pastries and egg burritos for us. We got on the bus to head to the airport around 5:30. The trip to San Jose took about 2 ½ hours. The adventure was coming to a close. We had a great time, reconnected with some old friends and made some new friends.

                           Fishing Left Fork of North Creek, Zion, Utah


Well, it has been awhile. Now that I am retired, I have no excuse for not posting on my blog. So, here goes.

On July 2, 2017, I drove from my home in Sandy, Utah down to Washington, Utah, just north of St. George. My plan was simple. I would hike down the Subway lower trailhead and catch 50 fish or so and come back.

Here is a little background on this. I have done the Subway hike from the top down about 11 times. Each time I have seen dozens of fish cruising around in the creek in the lower pools. It is never practical to try and combine doing the top down hike with fishing. It is hard enough to just complete the hike. I had always told myself that someday I would get a permit(yes, a permit is needed to be in the left fork drainage) and hike down from the Left Fork Trailhead and fish.

I had asked Dick and Pete if they wanted to go and they each declined. So, I was going solo. I reached the trailhead and started the hike at 7:23 AM. It took me 30 minutes to descend down to the creek where I started hiking upstream. At my pace, at 35 minutes, I figured I had gone close to a mile. To my surprise, I had not seen any fish. I did notice some green algae intermittently along the banks. I ended up hiking for an hour upstream. I had seen only a couple of fish but had passed several deeper pools. I rigged up and this time and began to cast where I thought fish would be holding. I guess I expected it to be like shooting fish in a barrel since no one except crazies like me would fish this area. It took a while but I finally got a fish to take a stimulator fly. It was a nice rainbow about 12 inches. I had put a dropper on to try and increase my chances but with the brush and obstacles I thought it would be better to just have one fly to worry about. I worked my way downstream and over the next couple of hours, I picked up 6 fish, all rainbows, all on a stimulator. They were 12-14 inches long I caught only one fish per pool, meaning that I had to catch a fish, hike down to the next pool and then repeat the process. . I kept fishing until I got back close to the hike out and then continued downstream for awhile looking for more good spots. I found none. I took a break, hydrated and ate a Cliff bar in preparation for the uphill hike out. It was very steep and very taxing. I would try and take my rest breaks in areas of shade, catch my breath and then continue on. One group of youngsters said that it was a pretty hot part of the day to be hiking uphill. I said it was only going to get hotter. It was about 12 noon then. I made it to the ridge where the trail flattened out and I was able to maintain a pace without stopping. The hike down took me 30 minutes and the hike back up took me about 40 minutes, although it seemed longer.

Like I said, I had a plan but it seems the fish had another plan. I have always wanted to do this and now I have. Now, I think I want to do it during another time of the year; maybe the fall. I better start putting in for a permit.

Sally Elizabeth Tonks Koca

Sad times have ruled recently. Diane's beloved sister, Sally lost her 15 month battle against colon cancer. She was diagnosed at age 49, before the recommended age for one's first colonoscopy. The aggressive tumor took over and Sally died on April 8, 2016. Her memorial service was April 22, 2016. I was asked to read her eulogy which I was able to to do but some difficulty. She was an amazing person and I wanted to include it here.

The Sally Elizabeth Tonks Koca Eulogy

At Christ First Baptist Church, Covina, CA: April 22, 2016

I brought my own water bottle because the eyes may get wet but the mouth gets dry.

Hi, I’m Jim Mackin. I’m Sally’s brother in law, Diane’s husband. Sally, Buggy, Bug. That nine year old little girl at our wedding 41 years ago. We watched her grow from a child to a teenager, to a woman, a magnificent woman.

I feel deeply honored that Barry has asked me to read the eulogy he has so lovingly written.

We are here today to mourn the loss of a wonderful woman, Sally Tonks Koca. We are also here today to celebrate her life as she touched all of our lives in different ways.

On behalf of the Tonks Family, Sally’s son, Sequoyah Brightcloud, Barry Koca and his Family, we want to thank you for honoring Sally today and for all the cards, prayers and support you have showered on Sally and our Families over the past 15 months.

You all know there is no way to capture and summarize Sally’s spirit on a sheet of paper. So we will do our best to embrace her passions, spirit and purpose over the past 50 years of her life.

Sally was gifted in many ways and as child in kindergarten she began dance classes, quickly progressing into ballet where she excelled and performed into her mid teens.  At the same time Sally enrolled in Girls Scouts where she earned numerous merit badges, learned many life long skills and developed a love for the outdoors through backpacking and hiking adventures.

Sally was loved by her three sisters and as the baby in the family they would often give Sally deference. Diane relates a time when Sally asked for a glass of ice water. As Diane descended the stairs she heard Sally say, “Crushed Please”. Sally had a very cute way of getting what she wanted and was courteous and kind. When she was tired she would roll up like Pill Bug and thus was given the nickname “Bug” or “Buggy” by her sisters. Sally adored her sisters and in later life was always excited to spend time with them or travel on trips together.

Girl Scouting became a big part of Sally’s formative years. Sally’s mother, Nona Tonks, supported Sally for many years through youth activities and held troop leadership positions providing a role model for Sally to follow in her later life.

At South Hills High School, Sally participated in Volleyball, Tennis and Performing Arts programs.

Sally liked to dress up and just try on clothes combinations. In fact, Sally was known to have a friend or two over and while getting ready to go out for the night Sally and her friends tried on different combinations of clothes all night, and never went out. That connection time was more meaningful to Sally than going out into the world for the evening.

In Sally’s first year of college she participated in sorority activities and rowed crew for San Diego State Univ. Girl Scouts, ballet, acting, rowing crew…Sally could do it all and in diverse range of interests.

Sally moved to the Bay area in her early 20’s and explored many different life experiences, searching for her passion and purpose in life. She gravitated towards a Naturopathic lifestyle, which included whole and organic foods, healing herbs and a simple lifestyle. She lived and acted free of regard for conventional rules and practices.  Now that was Sally! She pursued knowledge of ancient wisdom that Mother Earth has provided to all of us.

After her son, Sequoyah was born in 1996 Sally completed her college degree at Sonoma State University in City and Regional Planning with a minor in Economics and helped support her new family.

Sequoyah was her shining light and purpose. She committed her life to being available and to being a great Mother. Sequoyah loved his Mom and is so grateful for all the love she has given him and the sacrifices she has made for him.

Sally volunteered for different Non Profit groups while working in city government.  One time she was working with the Meals on Wheels program for the rural elderly in Sonoma County. The County was discontinuing the rural program and Sally lobbied and fought the County and saved the program for these elderly in need!

After 20 years living in the Bay area, Sally moved back to Southern California with her 9 year old son, Sequoyah, where they joined Christ First Church.

Eight months after moving back, Sally met Barry on Match Dot Com. Barry and Sally each were encouraged by close friends to get on Match. This was completely foreign and weird to both. On their first date, Sally arrived early to the restaurant and sat out front of the restaurant, hoping to get a glimpse of him as he walked past and possibly go to plan B if needed. Barry on the other hand went into the restaurant through the back door to get a glimpse of Sally before entering through the front door. Since no one was in the restaurant, Sally sat in front on a bench and Barry circled around the outside of the restaurant towards the front where they both met outside and gave each other a big hug…. Sally and Barry felt an immediate and powerful connection.

Barry had never met such a vibrant and talented woman before and was in complete awe of Sally and her presence. Sally could sing lyrics to popular Country Western music from the 70’s followed by a discussion of classical music, all while juicing wheat grass, celery, ginger and carrots for them to drink. She could walk into a room and light it up with her Beautiful smile and confident elegant presence. Barry loved Sally dearly and asked for her hand in marriage. They married on April 26, 2009.

Sally loved the ocean, not only to be near it but more so to get in and swim. On a  date to the Balboa pier, Sally and Barry did not bring swim suits but were wearing shorts and short sleeves standing on the beach, looking at the water… Sally told Barry she was going to get in the ocean and swim and Barry thought she was joking since she did not have a swim suit... Suddenly, Sally laid down her purse and threw off her shoes then ran directly into the ocean. Of course Barry happily followed and they swam together! Sally also spent many hours at the ocean with Sequoyah and their two-person Kayak… Sally set her sights on taking classes for being certified to sail.

The most important life goals that Sally had when Barry met her were to be a great mother to Sequoyah and to be a spiritual warrior for God and Jesus.

Sally’s life long passion was to be on a Speaking and Motivational Leadership circuit.  Sally had been the keynote speaker at several women’s functions here at Christ First and was recognized by the Southern California Women’s Ministry District as having true speaking talent. They offered Sally a circuit speaking position. She declined honoring her commitment to Sequoyah to be present and available to him.

Sally was strong, athletic, able, and fearless. On her 43rd Birthday, her wish was to climb half dome in Yosemite. She was disappointed she was unable to ascend due to rain and fog. However, she did chase away bears that came into camp both nights of sleeping without tents at the Half Dome base camp. Sally slalom waterskied at the age of 45.  At 48, she hiked to the top of Sugarloaf Mountain with Barry on his 51^st birthday. She rode quads, scooters and motorcycles and obtained her motorcycle license at the age of 45.

She believed in the truth, the whole truth even if it was brutal. White lies, whining or sarcasm were not recognized as a legitimate form of communication. Her sisters may beg to differ on this point.  Sally wanted meaningful connection during each conversation. She wanted you to “say what you mean”, and to “use your words”, “not repeat yourself” and “never end a sentence with a preposition.

Sally believed in serving those in need. Several times each year, Sally and Barry prepared homeless kits with toiletries and food cards. Off to Pershing Square they went in downtown LA where they handed out these kits to the homeless. Asking each person their first name, Sally and Barry would pray for the homeless often receiving a big smile from each individual they met on the street. Sally knew there was no better service to humanity than to serve those in true need of the basic essentials in life.

Sally was a student of spiritual practice. She searched for Truth and Purpose. The Truth became clear for Sally with the birth of her son, Sequoyah and her baptism here at Christ First in 2005. She understood the spiritual connections of God and the Universe. She believed that elements such as light, sound, and color have been in existence for millions of years and that they connect all of us. That is why she smiled at strangers. Most importantly, she believed that God was the one source of sanctuary. She would strive to practice the ways of Jesus in order to serve mankind.

Sally was in the hospital when she was told her Father, Roy, died on February 10, 2016. She called her sisters offering to write and read the Eulogy at Roy’s memorial service. Sally was in the hospital herself the 5 days before and 4 days after Roy’s service. She was determined to be released from the hospital, attend the memorial service and read Roy’s eulogy. Sally sat in a wheel chair in the front of this sanctuary in great pain and discomfort and presented Roy’s eulogy, honoring her Father at his time of transition. Sally never complained about the pain she was suffering with or ask “why me” during her 15 months battle with cancer. Sally believed until the day she died that there was hope. She had tremendous Faith in where she was headed.

Seeing all the wonderful Family and Friends celebrating Sally in this sanctuary and the impact she has made in all our lives comforts us to know she is so loved and glorified by God for Eternity.

So, leave here today, examine your purpose in life, smile at strangers, and serve your fellow man. That is what Sally would want you to do.

May your spirit be strong.

More Zion May 2014

One week later finds us back in Zion. I tried to get a last minute Subway permit so I could take Julie on that adventure. No such luck ensued. We decided to make the most of it. We drove down Wednesday with a plan to hike the West Rim trail on Thursday and leave Friday open for some other adventure. I found out that the road to the West Rim trailhead may be washed out from the recent rains. In fact, Zion Adventure Company were not going to shuttle people to the trailhead on Thursday. We had to rethink our plans and decided that we would do the bottom up Zion Narrows hike. All of us(Me, Diane, Dick, Nancy) except Julie have done the top down hike. We got outfitted with fleece, dry pants, neoprene booties, river shoes and the ever essential walking stick. We then went off to dinner at Oscars. "Hungry? Don't blame Oscars". Cute slogan. We had a great meal and then went off to bed.

We woke up and suited up in our gear and went to catch the shuttle bus to the Visitor Center. Diane, Julie, and I met up with Dick and Nancy and loaded onto the canyon shuttle bus to take us to to the Temple Sinawava trailhead. The first part of the hike is on a paved sidewalk for about a mile. Then we enter the river, The Virgin River. It was a good thing we got outfitted. The water was cold and swift. Some of the hikers did not plan accordingly and seemed to be shivering and off balance. We had our walking sticks to keep us upright. The views were fabulous. We immediately entered the canyon with its sheer walls and dramatic scenery. We passed Mystery Falls, a route that climbers would rappel down to get into the canyon. The scenery was gorgeous but walking upstream seemed to be taking its toll on our leg muscles. Our goal was to make it to Big Springs. Diane and I decided to wait for a while and then turn around and head back while Dick, Nancy, and Julie went on ahead. I went back with Diane to paved part and then headed back upriver to meet up with the other group. We met up and found that the hike to Big Springs was quite a bit longer but well worth it. It was a strenuous day and the hike out was long and tiring. Then we had to ride the shuttle bus to the visitor center and then take the  city shuttle back to the motel. Almost too tired to eat, but somehow we managed. Everyone voted for Oscars again. I guess that is a pretty good recommendation. We were off to bed after dinner for we had an early start planned for the morning.

                                                     Bell's Waterfall

Diane and I decided to hike to the waterfall today. The first part of the trail has been our training hike that we do year round. In the winter we put on crampons and hike to the bridge. To the bridge, it is a distance of 1.5 miles. The waterfall is about another 1.5 miles but the grade increases dramatically. This hiking trail has gotten immensely popular. The parking lot is always full and there are cars lining both sides of the road. The first part of the hike is a nice family hike with a reservoir to view after about one mile. Many people who hike it for the first time are surprised at how strenuous the second part is.

We got an early start(to beat the crowds). And it was Sunday. Yeah, Sunday. Some people engage in other activities on that day. It was cool and crisp and we made good time to the bridge. The next landmark would be the Lone Peak Wilderness sign, about a quarter mile from the bridge. From the sign, the trail passes through greenery and shade. The steepness also increases after the sign. The trail winds over to the creek in a couple of places and the mist from the rushing water creates a cool mist. I have actually hiked the trail all the way without stopping and achieved my personal best. One hour and eleven minutes. Not today. With the crowds and the need for rest stops, we were in no hurry to get there. We just wanted to get there. And we did. The waterfall was rushing with more water than I have ever seen before. So much so that we could not get to our usual observation point but had to head down  to where the terrain was dry and not slippery. This seemed to be the gathering place for most of the hikers who had made it all the way. We took some pictures and had some refreshments and then headed back down. I think we can say that the hiking season has officially begun.