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| I’ve never seen the trail head this crowded – and I’m not even getting all the cars in this shot – and this is the Friday before the eclipse. |
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| Though we originally planned to go up the Little Queens and make the loop, my ankle injury changed our plans to an out and back up the Queens. |
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| We got started nice and early so my slow pace would still allow us to make our planned campsite in daylight. |
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| A nice easy stream crossing – as it should be, in August. |
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| Ambrose wanted to make sure I didn’t stumble at any of the stream crossings. |
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| This log was pretty damp, so rather than risk it on my still-painful ankle, I hopped across to the right. |
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| This area has always been beautiful to me, and I’ve loved watching the burned areas grow back over the years. |
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| A most excellent rock to sit against for our first break. |
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| The trail goes up above the ridge to avoid a swampy area – though it’s pretty dry this time of year. |
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| The large tree I remembered from last year was still there, much to my disappointment. |
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| Ambrose crossed three times so I could cross without my pack on. We figured that would be safer with my ankle still wobbly. He’s my hero. |
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| The cross back did not go quite as planned. Since last year, the Queens River has rerouted itself from its prior banks. |
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| We made it across, only to find another section of the trail, near the bog, had been rerouted due to a lot of dead trees blocking the former trail. |
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| A much easier stream crossing – but he’s still waiting for me to pass safely. |
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| We’re getting closer to where the trail turns towards Nanny Creek. |
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| I was glad to see most of the trail still looked the same. |
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| Purple monkey flowers! |
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| I had really been hoping this tree would be trimmed, but it was still there. I went under this time. |
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| Every time a distant ridge appeared, Ambrose would ask if that was the Nanny Creek notch, and it never was. |
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| Ripe huckleberries! My favorite! |
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| The crossing of the Queens River by Nanny Creek was also significantly redesigned by the winter weather. I think it got easier, but I only had to cross once and I didn’t fall like Ambrose did. |