The End

I (Paul) went back out on the trail with my buddy Josh Bennett for another 4days/3nights. We southbound hiked the Desolation Wilderness section that borders the West side of Lake Tahoe again. Some relaxing hiking during the day and fishing along the many lakes. We were able to catch and cook up some brook trout for the last two nights we were out. Probably the best meal I had in two months. Josh's girlfriend Nicole picked us up from the trail and took us to South Lake Tahoe for a celebrity golf tournament, amazing steak dinner, and night out on the town. Nicole was 2 for 2 on showing us a great time after getting off the trail. The rest of my time in Truckee was spent floating down the Truckee River a couple times, going to a reggae festival, and just hanging out with Josh, Nicole, Orlie and some of their friends.

After taking a bus/train up to Portland, Ben and I met up again and stayed with our friends Emily and Paloma. We wandered around the city amidst a ridiculous heat wave, keeping cool by making frequent stops in various brew pubs. The four of us, along with the oh so ever pregnant Shannon, took a trip down to Crater Lake in southern Oregon to meet up with two other NMU friends Jennay and Andrew to camp and go swimming. We spent the rest of the time wandering more around Portland and visiting other friends in the area before we both flew back to the midwest.

And that was the end of this summer's adventure. Finish next year? Who know. We're now both back in Michigan hanging around trying to get jobs.