Hiking along Morgan Creek

That's Morgan Creek up there above. Due to having some rain recently, the creek is almost up to its normal levels and a lot higher than we're used to seeing.

I like how the leaves in the picture above break up the nearly monochromatic picture with just a little flash of subtle color.

You can see how high the water is on the sewer pipe. Occasionally after a rainstorm the water will flow up to a foot above the pipe. I don't cross them at that time, though I have occasionally crossed them when there was a little water flowing over the top.

...and in this picture there are people flowing over the top of the pipe. The water was quite cold---the air temperature was just a bit below freezing when we started out on the hike at noon---and that was strong incentive not to slip off of the pipe! 

I just loved the way these weeds looked against the backdrop of the bamboo leaves. So puffy and beige against that vibrant green.  Purty! 

Here's the group I was hiking with crossing a bridge and about to start climbing one of the larger hills on the hike. Gotta love those hills! 

Of course it's a lot easier to love them when you're going down. Gravity is our friend in those circumstances. Unfortunately.... if you're going to go down, eventually you'll probably have to climb up again.

And here we are near the end, walking into the mid-afternoon sun, all warmed up despite the cool temperatures. I don't think it got above 40f all day long.