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Twenty Terrific Trailblazers at the Yaeger Canyon Trailhead.
[photo by John]
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Front Row: John, Anikó, Quy, Molly, Bill, Rudy.
Back Row: Chuck, Jim, Wendy, Barry, Mark, Barbara,
Becky, Rich, Denise, Brian, Lance, Bob, Funyung, Michael.
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Under mostly sunny skies with a pleasant temperature of 70 degrees,
twenty Arizona Trailblazers begin a long 1,300-foot descent from the
Yaeger Canyon Trailhead.
The time is exactly 10:00 AM on a beautiful Saturday morning in late May.
At 7,300 feet, we are starting from the top of Yaeger Canyon Trail # 28
off of Forest Road 413.
Yaeger Canyon Trail is the first of three trails making up today’s
seven mile counter-clockwise loop hike.
After an initial false start on a smooth dirt track to the right, we correct
ourselves and continue straight ahead down a rocky, boulder-filled path.
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Getting ready to hike. [photo by Jim]
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Going over the trail map and junctions. [photo by John]
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Trailblazers hit the trail running. [photo by John]
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Wrong way guys! Come back! [photo by John]
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Now we’re on the right track. [photo by John]
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Several people emailed me before the hike, inquiring about the Slide
Fire burning in Oak Creek Canyon (at the time of this writing that fire
has torched over 21,000 acres in the canyon) and possible road closures
and smoky conditions on the trail.
I talked with one of the rangers from the Verde Ranger District, which
also covers the Mingus Mountain Complex, earlier in the week.
He said there has been some light smoke settling in parts of the Verde
Valley late at night and into the early morning hours as the winds
shift to the south and sweep some of the smoke out of Oak Creek Canyon.
Later in the morning the winds reverse course as they come out of the
southwest and move the smoke back toward the north.
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One of many large alligator junipers along the trail. [photo by Quy]
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Hikers work their way down to Highway 89A. [photo by Denise]
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We begin the long descent. [photo by Jim]
Fortunately, we should be high above any potential smoke since the
Yaeger Canyon Trailhead sits at 7,300 feet.
Our lowest point on this loop hike is 6,000 feet at the bottom of
Yaeger Canyon near Highway 89A.
Also, there have been no road closures at all on the lower end of 89A,
only above the Sedona area in Oak Creek Canyon.
Today’s weather forecast is calling for a 30% chance of rain,
so let’s keep our fingers crossed that all the 30% falls in
Oak Creek Canyon and helps knock down the Slide Fire.
Oak Creek Canyon is one of the most scenic and popular destinations
in Arizona, and a fire of this magnitude is absolutely devastating
in the confined environment of a canyon.
It will be many, many years before the burned out areas of this canyon
are fully restored to what we remembered before the fire.
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Big alligator juniper on the Yaeger Canyon Loop.
[photo by Lance]
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Close-up study of alligator juniper bark. [photo by Lance]
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We’ve seen a number of large alligator junipers on several recent
hikes, including Pine Mountain and Horton Creek, but the junipers we
encounter on the Yaeger Canyon Loop trail have to rank as some of the
largest in Arizona.
Junipers belong to the cypress family of evergreen trees, and alligator
junipers (named after their distinctive checkered bark suggesting an
alligator’s back) are among the largest of all junipers, ranging
to 50 feet in height and up to 5 feet in diameter.
Some of these larger junipers can live to 250 years or more.
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Fluffy cumulus clouds build over Mingus Mountain. [photo by John]
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The first mile or so of the Yaeger Canyon Trail is especially rough and
rocky as it drops steeply and relentlessly toward Highway 89A and the
bottom of Yaeger Canyon.
But the scenery is spectacular along the way, with commanding views of
the Prescott Valley area and Granite Mountain in the background.
Granite Mountain peaks at 7,626 feet, 326 feet higher than our own
starting point near the top of Mingus Mountain.
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Rudy plays his air harmonica. [photo by Barbara]
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Wendy and Rich work their way down the trail. [photo by Barbara]
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Granite Mountain is named after the predominance of Precambrian Granite
throughout the area and is home to one of the largest populations of
mountain lions in Arizona.
Although we have hiked the mountain several times over the years, we
have never even caught a glimpse of these elusive and secretive big cats.
But you can be sure they are watching us from a safe vantage point,
curious about these strange creatures slowly walking upright on two
legs, many with the aid of two metal sticks at their sides.
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Is it a bird? Is it a plane? Omygosh! Is it Superman? [photo by Jim]
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Overview of the Prescott Valley area and Granite Mountain. [photo by John]
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Interesting rock columns seen from the trail. [photo by Quy]
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Close up shot of rock columns near the trail. [photo by Barbara]
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These trees appear to be growing out of solid rock. [photo by Barbara]
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Overview of Highway 89A and Prescott Valley from the trail
[photo by Denise]
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Yaeger Canyon at the bottom of the trail. [photo by Lance]
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Second view of Yaeger Canyon. [photo by Lance]
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It’s about 11:15 by the time we finally bottom out at 6,000 feet
in Yaeger Canyon, as it begins running parallel with Highway 89A.
But the trail runs for another half-mile or so before finally reaching
the junction with Little Yaeger Canyon Trail # 533.
We stop here for a short rest and snack break before continuing on.
And its here where we catch the first faint smell of smoke from the
Slide Fire. Although we can’t actually see any smoke in the air,
the unmistakable odor serves as a stark reminder of the virtually
uncontained wildfire still raging through Oak Creek Canyon north of
Slide Rock State Park, about 30 miles to the northeast of our current
position as the crow flies.
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Michael and Becky at the bottom of the trail. [photo by Jim]
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Jim comes down the home stretch. [photo by Barbara]
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We stop for a short rest break before the second leg. [photo by John]
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Mark, Lance, John, Wendy, and Anikó take a break. [photo by Quy]
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Regrouping near the Little Yaeger Canyon Trail junction. [photo by Wendy]
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Before we hit the trail again, Bill informs me that he wants to scout
out an off-trail route he hopes will take him back to the trailhead we
started from.
So he, along with three victims — oops, I meant to say hikers
(Rudy, Molly, and Bob), splits from the rest of the group to do some
serious Zimmerman-style bushwhacking.
I follow their progress over the TalkAbout radios, along with a copy
of Bill’s map.
And then I start to wonder if poor Molly and Bob know what they’re
really letting themselves in for with Bushwhack Bill.
Rudy knows only too well (heck, he’s a master bushwhacker himself),
but these two are newcomers to the Trailblazers and may not be aware of
the hazards of bushwhacking.
Will we ever see either of them again on a future hike?
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A colorful field of wildflowers along the trail. [photo by Funyung]
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The lichens certainly love this rock. [photo by Quy]
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Highway 89A runs a serpentine course through the mountains.
[photo by Barbara]
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Woodchute Mountain reaches for the clouds. [photo by Lance]
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The rest of us hit the unmarked Little Yaeger Canyon trailhead to begin
the second leg of this loop trail.
It’s time to pay the piper now, as we make up the 1,300 feet of
lost elevation to get back to the trailhead.
And the Little Yaeger Canyon Trail wastes little time, as it bends
southeast and quickly begins to switchback up the west rim of Mingus
Mountain.
Up, up, and away we go through an endless series of switchbacks, as
the pinyon-juniper covered slopes of the west rim gradually give way
to towering ponderosa pine forests as we gain elevation on the mountain.
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As we climb higher on the trail we begin to pick up a cool and refreshing
breeze blowing out of the northwest.
We are also well above any residual smoke from the Slide Fire still
lingering on or near the canyon floor.
The large ponderosa pines and oaks that line the trail provide cooling
shade, although the temperature is still holding in the mid-70s for now.
But we should only get cooler as we climb all the way up to 7,300 feet
at the trailhead.
We will gain a little over 800 feet in elevation on this second leg of
the loop trail.
We then make up the last 500 feet on the Yaeger Cabin Trail, which will
carry us all the way back to the trailhead we started from earlier this
morning.
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Trailblazers work their way around a large ponderosa. [photo by Quy]
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Hoofing it up the Little Yaeger Canyon Trail. [photo by Quy]
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Another fallen tree partially blocks the trail. [photo by Funyung]
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We enjoy and savor this weather as much as we can, because all of us
know only too well the scorching triple-digit temperatures soon to hit
the desert floor.
Eventually, our only escape from the unrelenting and oppressive summer
heat will be a prolonged dip in the pool, sitting on a large block of
ice in front of a high-speed fan, a long trip to Antarctica, or these
high elevation hikes in northern Arizona.
And at some point Mt. Humphreys, at 12,633 feet, may be our only relief
while hiking. That or anything else above 11,000 feet.
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Can you stretch those arms just a little more, Quy? [photo by Quy]
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Wendy hugs a really big alligator juniper. [photo by John]
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We men simply do not hug trees.
It’s one of those unwritten rules. [photo by John]
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As we approach the top of the trail where it intersects with Allen
Spring Road, I hear Anikó’s voice over the radios announcing
that she and several others in the lead have already reached the road
and turned left toward the junction with Yaeger Cabin Trail # 111, the
last leg of this loop trail.
I tell her to watch carefully for the trail sign, since its offset at
least 50 feet or more from the left side of the road and very easy to
overlook.
But Anikó is a savvy and experienced hiker, and by the time the
rest of us top out on the road she has already reached the junction and
is hiking up the trail with her small entourage.
Since it’s well past noon, I ask her to scout out a good lunch
spot so we can all break for lunch.
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Denise, Brian, and John take five. [photo by Wendy]
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John captures the Trail #111 sign for the record. [photo by Quy]
All good things must come to an end, so when we finish eating we gear
up once again for the last leg of today’s journey through the
Mingus Mountains.
We start hiking north on Yaeger Cabin Trail #111 (no, we never actually
saw Yaeger Cabin) on the final two miles of the loop trail.
We continue ascending through a heavy forest cover of pine and oak,
before eventually beginning a long descent along a tributary of Little
Yaeger Canyon.
Unfortunately, it’s not all downhill from here though, and once
again we begin climbing relentlessly as we slowly work our way up the
headwaters of the canyon.
Periodically, Anikó radios a warning of oncoming bicyclists and
on one occasion a pair of horseback riders.
I think the number of bikers we encounter on the trail today just about
equals the number of hikers we come across.
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Trailblazers spread out for lunch under the pines. [photos by John]
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Rich and Lance deep in conversation. [photo by John]
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Mark offers suggestions for dinner later today.
Hey, hiking works up one heck of an appetite. [photo by Wendy]
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Meanwhile, I follow Bill & company’s progress from time to
time over the radios.
He is not quite following the route he had mapped out earlier, but his
small group of explorers is generally following a track to the north
and eventually links up with Yaeger Cabin Trail #111 that we are hiking.
We will not see them again until we all arrive safely back at the trailhead.
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Step aside! Equestrians coming down the trail. [photo by John]
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Strongman Mark lifts a fallen tree to help Jim. [photo by Wendy]
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Hercules calculates his next move. [photo by Quy]
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Manzanita is in full bloom along the trail. [photo by Barbara]
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Trailblazers continue on the last leg of their journey. [photo by Quy]
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And what trip report would be complete without a collection of great
flower pictures from Quy? We also have a beautiful Claret-cup Hedgehog
picture by Wendy in this exotic floral collection.
Quy’s picture of the Cliff rose bloom is nothing short of amazing.
But I guess that unfortunate fly is certainly none too thrilled about
the situation. Chomp! Munch! Great job Quy!
Flower pictures by Quy:
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Claret-cup Hedgehog
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Canyon Clarkia
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Fleabane
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Blue Lupine
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Colorful cluster of Gambel oak leaves.
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Manzanita bloom
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Wright’s Fendlerbush
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Cliff Rose
“Welcome to my parlor,” said the spider to the fly.
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Claret-cup Hedgehog. [photo by Wendy]
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As we get higher on the Yaeger Cabin Trail and it gets cooler, storm
clouds are beginning to roll in and it looks like we could get some
rain any time now.
About a quarter-mile from the trailhead we get a weather update from
Meteorologist Mark, who is checking the weather app on his smart phone.
He informs us that rain is moving in fast, and we should all hustle
to get back to the trailhead as quickly as possible.
We do get a few raindrops, but we all manage to reach the trailhead
by 2:30 before anything serious breaks loose.
This is a pretty handy app, and Mark saved us a couple of years ago
on the Abineau-Bear Jaw hike when it looked like we might have to turn
back before we even reached the Bear Jaw Trail because of a threatening
thunderstorm.
But his weather app indicated the storm (actually several smaller
storm cells) was moving out of the area and we should be OK.
We continued on and the storm did eventually move off, leaving mostly
clear skies in its wake.
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Post-hike gathering at the trailhead. [photo by Quy]
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Let’s get ready to roll, people. [photo by John]
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Michael, Becky, and Chuck discuss the hike over a few cold ones.
[photo by John]
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What’s up, Becky? (She’s not telling.) [photo by Wendy]
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Once back at the trailhead, we discuss dinner options which include a
walking tour of Jerome and perhaps dinner in Jerome if we can find a
restaurant large enough to accommodate all twenty of us, dinner only in
Jerome with no walking tour, or skip Jerome entirely and have dinner at
a Mexican restaurant in Cottonwood that comes highly recommended by Mark.
The vote is for dinner in Cottonwood, so we stow away our gear and head
back down the long and winding road toward Jerome and Cottonwood.
Before reaching Jerome, the skies open up and that 30% finally catches
up with us in a big way, but thankfully not while still on the trail.
It continues to pour all the way through Jerome and half-way into Cottonwood.
As we slowly make our way through Jerome in the pounding rain, we watch
as dozens of hapless tourists huddle in doorways, under awnings, and anywhere
else they can stay dry, as they anxiously wait for the rain to stop.
So perhaps not such a good idea after all on the walking tour through
Jerome, that is unless we were ducks.
But I didn’t notice webbed feet on any of our hikers today.
On a more serious note, hopefully this rain is also falling on the Slide
Fire, which should help to at least temporarily slow its advance.
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Food at last! [photos by John]
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Good grief, Anikó!
Are you going to eat all that by yourself?
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Quick, get the fire extinguisher!
Jim’s smoking-hot caldron is about to erupt!
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Barbara opts for a slightly smaller meal.
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That burrito is almost as big as you, Quy!
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Part of our group decides to head back to Phoenix, while sixteen of us
descend on the Plaza Bonita Family Mexican Restaurant in Cottonwood.
But to their credit, the staff does not cut and run when they see this
motley band of ragtag hikers walk through the front door.
And as you can see in the following pictures, one certainly does not
leave this place hungry.
The food is great, the portions are huge, the service is prompt, and
many of us take half our food home for another meal.
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Sixteen Trailblazers get serious about eating.
We don’t fool around when it comes to food.
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[photos by John]
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Excellent recommendation, Mark!
We will definitely come back here after future hikes in the area.
Bottoms up, Trailblazers!
We’ve just completed another one for the record book.
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Hike Statistics, by Jim Buyens:
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Total Distance: | 7.07 miles |
Moving Time: | 2 hours 57 minutes |
Stopped Time: | 1 hours 18 minutes |
Average Speed Moving: | 2.4 mph |
Average Speed Overall: | 1.7 mph |
Starting Elevation: | 7325 feet |
Maximum Elevation: | 7327 feet |
Total Ascent: | 1317 feet |
Starting Time: | 10:05 AM |
Finishing Time: | 2:20 PM |
Starting Temperature: | 68° |
Finishing Temperature: | 73° |
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Dave French and I pre-hiked this trail a month earlier. At that time his
GPS indicated a minimum elevation of 6,000 feet at the bottom of the Yaeger
Canyon Trail next to Highway 89A.
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Chuck |
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Supplemental Report
by Bill Zimmermann
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With permission from the hike leader, Molly, Bob, and Rudy joined Bill
extending the hike with a little off trail exploratory (400ft 2 miles).
We left the trail at “Y6” and returned at “Y7”.
Rudy shared de-spined cactus with the group.
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The fabulous foursome: Molly, Bill, Rudy, and Bob.
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Rudy expertly slices a prickly pear.
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Bill tries a taste of it. “Yum!”
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Road sign in the forest.
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Molly finds her lucky number by the trail.
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We stumbled in to a neat campsite with a huge timber lean-two.
While off trail, Molly found a survey stake with a special significance.
It was her number at the group introduction countdown: sixteen.
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