twenty-two

 In the last few years, we've gone for a hike on our wedding anniversary, taking the day off of work should it fall on a weekday.  This year, it was on a Friday and we both planned to take it off, but H got roped into a project at the last minute and wasn't able to.  My boss was already planning on my not being there so I counted it as a mental health day: long walk with Milton, vacuuming the house, doing a Costco run, meeting H for a quick lunchtime beer.  It was pretty pleasant in the evening - cooling off a little with some small storm systems moving through - so we hung out on the tailgate of the truck (in the garage, 'cuz we're classy), chatting with neighbors and taking advantage of the local produce in our frozen watermelon margaritas.

We're ALL getting gray

On Sunday we finally got around to taking our anniversary hike.  We left the house before 7 a.m., again arriving up in Millcreek Canyon about twenty minutes later.  This time we drove to the Elbow Fork trailhead to do the Upper Pipeline extension, which we had noticed on last year's anniversary hike and were only just now getting around to doing.  It was 57 F, cool and wet and the sun had not yet gotten above the canyon.  It was busy too, although most cars were heading up the canyon further towards the Big Water trailhead, and the folks who were parked with us most seemingly going up Mt. Aire.  We crossed the creek on the footbridge and at the sign went left up the Pipeline Trail; the other option here is right to the Terraces Trail.

Super shady

This section of the Pipeline Trail goes from Elbow Fork to Big Water, approximately 3.2 miles (the Pipeline Trail actually runs the length of Millcreek Canyon, beginning all the way down at the bottom at Rattlesnake Gulch).  We did it as an out and back; I suppose you could shuttle it with two cars or a car and a bike.  It's super nice walking though: packed dirt soft underfoot, hardly rocky at all, slightly side-hilly (only noticeable if you are still recovering from an ankle sprain) and almost completely shaded.  Although it does climb steadily, it's never steep and if you do it the way we did it, it's a downhill finish!

We were early enough that it wasn't too busy, with about fifteen dogs, ten or so hikers, a handful of trail runners and four MTBers (I guess bikes are allowed on the lower trails on off-leash days?).  Milton had a lot of fun, mostly sticking to the trail with occasional dives into the underbrush after squirrels, but he covered a LOT of ground with running ahead and then racing back to check on us.  Because the footing was so nice, it was a quick up and a very fast down.

Fireweed blooms bottom to top:

when the flowers get to the top,

summer is over

Back at the car, we gave up our high value parking spot and drove down canyon a little way to a spot by the creek that we like.  We sat by the water for a few minutes for a celebratory beer - twenty-two year! - and watched as Milton couldn't keep his eyes open.  He overdid it, per usual.  Upper Pipeline is a very pleasant hike with decent mileage as an out and back.  There aren't any views because of all the trees but it's far enough away from the road to make it feel like a real hike.  We're fans.

Hike stats: our GPS said 6.8 miles, signage says 6.4; moving 2:16 hours / 3.2 m.p.h.; overall 2:23 / 3.1; 990' elevation