Grouse Ridge Day 3a - Natural Beauty

I just found out that Eric has a previous commitment on Monday so he will be leaving tonight to go to Truckee. I think that I will stay here by myself. Even saying that sounds funny to me. There are so many people up here this weekend that you really can't be here by yourself.

We spent the day hiking cross-country. Unfortunately I forgot to turn on my Spot until after we had already hiked a few miles. We didn't see anybody while we were off trail. As soon as we hit the trail right where Middle lake is supposed to be, two women and a boy of about eleven were coming down the trail. We asked them if they had seen a lake and they said no. 

We then assumed that our navigation was off, or rather Eric did. We began following the women and the boy. The boy was wearing some camps military style webbing harness. He had a cowboy cap gun sticking out of the armpit holster under his left arm. The older of the two women had an automatic pistol in a holster on her belt. We decided to walk slower.

I suggested that we look at the map and our GPS and navigate to the lake. We found that the trail had been moved about two hundred meters East from when the map was drawn. After walking another two hundred and fifty meters we found ourselves in the middle of a bid meadow. A clear stream was flowing through it, but there was not a lake in sight. 

We headed downstream after deciding to eat our lunch in the shade by the stream. There were no big trees in the meadow with shade that covered the stream's bank. Finally we came to a place where the meadow ended and the stream cascaded down a narrow gorge. As we stood there looking down the tumbling creek I followed the streams course down to some large rocks, boulders really. The boulders had people sunning themselves, apparently after a jump in the stream. Wait a minute that girl one the end has nothing on! Then she stood up, and removed all doubt. Al natural in nature. We decided to take a big detour around the party that was a little to free and easy.