Sept 12: Exit Trout lake...

 the south side of Mt. Adams isn't all that spectacular.

 The little grey speck at the top of this meadow is my tent...

 So happy to have found respite from the hordes.  Cooking dinner in my little meadow after finding the only water around:  a tiny, gross little frog pond.  What you can't see in the photo are the thousands of tiny frogs jumping and singing all around me....

This is the sunset from the top of a little rock perch.  Doc and Snake Charmer joined me in the solace.  We watched this awesome sunset through forest-fired trees (Mt. St. Helens next to the sun) and then stayed awake late into the night eating brownies, drinking whiskey, and waiting for the aurora borealis...

Journal Entry:  Sept. 12, 2014
Out of Trout Lake, 6.0 miles

"Pure exhaustion.  Didn't get my 'zeor' or buddhist time, so left Trout Lake as depleted as I entered.  The Aussie and Polar Bear were a lot to handle, thought Terese was lovely.  This morning we made fresh farm eggs & coffee while the boys drank beer.  I was able to get all my phone calls done.  I have interviews arranged & a ride from White Pass.  Still:  I'm tired.  No privacy for days & days on end, minus the few precious hours in C.L.  The psychic exhaustion translates to physical lethargy so I had no motivation to hike today.  That, coupled with an exodus of hikers from trout lake and I just wanted to curl up in a little ball after about 10 minutes of hiking.  I found this awesome little meadowat 5:30pm & I'm so grateful! It even has a scuzzy little pond (water!) with cute, tiny frogs.  I set up & said goodbye to Terese when she came by.  Doc and Snake Charmer-- 2 U.L./serious hikers we met on the hitch into T.L. showed up with news of aurora borealis tonight! Solar flares today & apparently aurora visible all over Washington state tonight.  They were looking for a clearing but were kind enough to give me loads of space.  So, I'm basically alone again for the first time since Milk Creek and the Mt. Jefferson storm.  Funny, but as I began to make camp, I had a fleeting worry of loneliness.  Ha! yes.  The fundamental condition.  Only 4 days left until this adventure comes to an end."