A week in California and Oregon, in pictures (there are many more if you are interested!)
I am so happy to report that the region that I remember as being one of the most beautiful and secluded in the world, the Trinity Alps, still more than meets my expectations.  It was wonderful to return, even more so to bring Patrick there.  There were a few things that have changed from my long ago summer there- the movie theater reopened!  Starbucks!  cell phone reception (even on mountainsides)!  The wilderness was the same, though- incredible.

Patrick had a good time fishing in an assortment of mountain lakes.  I have a photo of him fishing at the lake (Little Boulder) where he caught a rainbow trout, but I was wandering nearby trails and missed the actual photo opportunity.  After one day of hiking near Weaverville, we stopped at the bar in town so that I could show Patrick the place I hung out- with my mountain friends, a mule packer (yes, this is apparently a profession) and a pot grower (well, it is California)- the sole bar in town, The Diggins.

After a few days in the Trinity Alps, we headed north to Crater Lake, Oregon.

Absolutely incredible.  And, as you can see, I have pictures of Patrick hiking through more snow.  He did enjoy the ability to work on his snowball making and throwing capabilities in late July in both California and Oregon.

We also hiked down the only available trail to test out the waters in the deepest lake in the country.  I am also willing to attest, after managing to get in all of the way and float, that it is probably one of the coldest (Patrick saw that it was about 38 degrees that day).

The final leg of our journey was to the wedding of one of my good friends in Sunriver, Oregon.  It was a wonderful chance to catch up with a group of friends (we rented a house together). And, as one friend noted, Patrick and I did clean up well after our five days of adventuring.  Congratulations, Alexia and Tucker!