Dr. Rock at the start of our adventure from the Lava Camp trailhead. It's 29 degrees as we get started, with lots of frost.
Fantastic single track right from the beginning. I can definitely see why trail runners love living in this area.
Some fall color admist the green. And lots of hanging moss, reminiscent of the Olympic Pennisula in Washington.
Just about anywhere there was heavy shade, there was frost on the ground.
Perfect, spongy trail. Dr. Rock started the morning at an amazingly fast pace. I struggled to keep-up at times.
North Matthieu Lake. Clearly low water level in this severe drought year, but beautiful nonetheless. A popular stop for 1-night backpackers starting from Lava…
South Matthieu Lake with North Sister in the background. I actually wasn't expecting to see the snow-capped peaks so late in the year, but the glaciers are…
Another view of North Sister behind the lake. One of my favorite views around the loop. Definitely a different look, and different color palette, than the…
Not too far beyond South Matthieu Lake, we enter the Pole Creek Burn Area. Drought conditions fueled a huge lightning strike fire in 2012 that left much of the…
The burn zone really shows how volcanic this area is under the vegetation.
Although most of the creeks are dry this late in the year, they still offer some welcome green admidst the gray of the burn area.
Continuing to make great time on beautiful half-green, half-burned single track.
We start to get glimpses of the Middle Sister through the trees.
Finally we break through for a clear view of the peak.
A group of four college-aged backpackers started the loop just after us, and we leap-frogged back and forth with them for most of the first day. They snapped a…
Back into a heavy burn area with interesting colors.
Soap Creek.
Dr. Rock crossing Soap Creek. He doesn't exactly love creek crossings.
A nice stream further South along the trail with the Middle Sister in the background.
And another stream crossing.