Happy Birthday In the Backcountry

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Day 5: Happy Birthday Justin

Happy Birthday Justin! 36 years old!!

I started this page at 6:30 a.m. and the only one awake. I’d hung up a happy birthday on crepe paper banner between the trees then went to set in the sun.

I was sitting on a hill behind the camp with the sun coming up over the mountain so the camp wasn’t bathed in sun yet. The hill isn’t heavily forested with lots of rocks and some debris from the trees and small grass filling in.

The light was filtering thru the branches of the trees turning the bark to orange and red.

It was cold, really cold but the cup of hot coffee felt good in my hands and going down the throat. I thought that this would be our last full day so was determine to enjoy it.

Justin woke up before we’d decorated more but we blew up balloons and hung them on the banner. Charlotte made French toast out of left over bread and I made syrup from freeze dried blueberries, water and sugar. There was just enough bread to give everyone a piece or two.

Justin hadn’t slept well and neither had most of us; too cold. Justin thought that he’d really like to start down and go on home. We agreed that we’d love to have a better night sleep. So we started packing up to hike back.

The trip down the hill was uneventful, stopping for lunch by a stream. Kids played in one stream, throwing rocks into the water and pretending to catch fish.

We would have made it home that night after eating a birthday dinner for Justin but alas, there was a car issue so we were stuck in Lone Pine overnight. But we were very happy for the shower at the motel room.

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Photos

Together One Last Time
Our group