Ten Year Loon Lake

We had hoped to return to Loon Lake with Linda, Ann and Paula on the 10th anniversary of our first visit but Ann broke her ankle and it didn't seem right to do a group visit without her so just Michael, Sasha and a big chunk of humanity also went. We got up to the lake (by biodiesel) at dusk with crazy Rubiconers below where we were parked on the spillway. We spent the night there and the next morning we paddled out to where we hoped we could camp where we last went two years ago with Ann and Linda but that was taken. We paralleled the high granite rocks almost to the end of the lake until I spotted the possibility of a trail and that turned out to be a fine spot with a level place for the tent and some built up rocks for cooking, a fire ring but not much shade but beautiful views out to the lake, privacy and vast slabs above for wandering on.
That first day we just wandered around and swam and got settled into camping which has many different challenges than the comforts of veggie voyaging. Organizing the food, being comfortable for the scrabble challenges, getting the foodstuffs high hanging off a branch at sunset.... just to name a few.
On Sunday we hiked to Spider Lake which isn't a hard hike but neither is it easy.. my knees are stiffer now than ever before and the hike we hoped to make, to Buck Island Lake, got called due to topography. I recall how bummed we were by the Rubican 4WD people after the horrors of 9-11 but also how it seemed somehow constructive for people to be out challenging vehicles against the environment. Now it was just background and didn't really phase us. I hope the commemoration can be as psychologically easy but I doubt it--so much has been lost in these 10 years.
Each of us makes our perch in the rock and searches deep for sustenance. We are alone even in the midst of everything that distracts us. The struggle itself is intense, beautiful and recognizable. I'll see what I think next week in the thick of it. For now, nature soothes.