We started our last day of hiking with morning fog; the rain stopped from the night before. Alan and I chose easy “walks “ today. We left the camp around 9:15am and the temperature was 61 degrees. The first stop was Rasar State Park with our guide Marti and six other hikers. We were along a different part of the Skagit River than previous hikes. We walked a one mile loop and then headed to 5 B’s Bakery for indulgent gluten free sweet snacks.
After the short stop at the bakery we were off to Rockport State Park where we had lunch and hiked 3.8 miles. At the very end of our hike we visited the “Grandmother Cedar” and took a circular selfie of our whole group (eight). It is an ancient tree and estimated 500 to 600-year-old western red cedar.
We came upon a lookout that had a view of the confluence of the Skagit and Sauk Rivers. We didn’t realize it at the time - a state park ranger explained it to us as we returned to the trailhead.
At our last dinner at camp, a card was passed among the hikers to wish our fellow hiker (who had the mishap earlier) a speedy recovery.
To conclude August Camp, hikers were encouraged to participate in “The Follies,” at campfire. Those in the group with talent were encouraged to showcase those talents. To kick things off, one hiker demonstrated ancient tai chi-like stretching. It is a slow-motion exercise for relaxation, balance and health. There were also several comedians, a drummer, a group song, and several soloists (including one with lyrics describing camp). The grand finale was the “croo” performance of a small skit/song.
Due to the rain the prior night, slugs were plentiful!
Tree restoration taking place within Rasar State Park. Each orange flag represents a seedling.
One of the three different different display cases of gluten free pastries.
Our group enjoying the gluten free treats.
Although difficult to see, the confluence of the Skagit and Sauk Rivers.
Alan and I posing in front of the “Grandmother Cedar.”
The circular group selfie and the “Grandmother Cedar.”
The “tradition,” the Concrete Post Office.
The camp mailbox performing as a “lost and found.”
The crew or “croo” that arrived a week before camp. They set up over 30 tents, serviced washing stations, emptied trash, made our meals, sanitized our dinner ware, and did anything else needed for camp to run smoothly.
The “croo” also had a tradition for the last night of camp and performed a short song/skit. They are in sleeping bags because they are representing worms😊