We have been enjoying sleeping in out here; there is no need to rouse ourselves at any particular time. The trail will be there no matter when we start off, and the mild mileage lends itself to flowing days that can just happen without too much effort. I quite like it.

There were only a few miles left to intersect with the Cold Springs Trail that would deliver us back down onto the car, and we enjoyed the cool, bug-free morning walk. The sky had started to haze up the past day or so, and we theorized that a fire or two probably broke out while we were meandering on the mountain. Layer we found out the Tunnel Fire in the Columbia Gorge had burned up 10 houses and had reached about 500 acres.

Kirk won the first-to-spot-the-cars game, and before we knew it, we were slowly making our way back down the bumpy road, eating many of the snacks we left in the car.

A short trip to a burger place in The Dalles produced one of the largest burgers we had ever seen, and Kirk did his best to eat what he could…but five days of hiking wasn’t enough to create a hunger that can polish off a burger as big as your head.

Then the drive home….since we got home on a hot afternoon, there was time for a river float with my dear friend Carrie… a highly recommended way to finish a trip!