Ladies weekend! (boy allowed)

This past weekend Beth, Bryn, Jen, the dogs and I headed down through Bryn's old stomping grounds (Homer, AK) and took a water taxi across the bay and into Kachemak State Park. From the far shore we hiked in about 3 miles to a rustic cabin on a prettly little lake. I have no idea where the lake got it's name, but "China Poot" Lake feeds China Poot Creek, which flows into China Poot Bay... all in the shadow of China Poot Peak.

We got there on Friday evening, had dinner and settled in around the campfire. The plan for Saturday was to hike up Poot Peak, but I bowed out since I had been fighting a bit of a stomach bug since Wednesday. While I stayed back in camp for some reading, fishing, firebuilding and snacking the ladies made their assault on the mountain.

Poot Peak isn't that tall - heightwise it would fit in nicely in the Appalachians - but it's really steep and from camp it basically looks like a mostly-rock spire. I checked up the mountains a few times, and a bit under 3 hours after the girls left I saw shapes moving around up there. I was even able to snap a couple pictures on my phone (the girls had my camera), through my binoculars, with one of the three clearly visible on the ridge right next to the summit. Terrible photo quality, but still pretty cool as far as I'm concerned.

The ladies made it back in time for dinner (good thing, because Bryn was the cook for that night's homemade/freeze-dried turkey dinner) and another evening was passed with food and drink, the campfire and some fishing.

Sunday morning Bryn and Jen went for another hike with the dogs while Beth and I hung around camp to fish and do some sleep-boating (this is Beth's invention: where she rows out onto the perfectly still lake, ships her oars and falls asleep). After lunch the four of us headed back to the beach where we had been dropped off, caught the water taxi and zipped back across the bay to Homer, the car and a long drive home.

Bonus beautiful sunset as we approached Anchorage!

The campfire was a focal point of the weekend.

The top of Poot Peak, taken through binoculars.

The top of the peak, through binoculars and fully zoomed in.
That may actually be Beth on the left side of the ridge, based
on the faint color difference between her body and sleeves.

Mystery climber on the move. No summit pictures - they didn't
know they needed to pose for a photographer 2 miles away.

The sunset zipping by out the car window - haven't seen one
of these for awhile now!