Two days ago, Karen and I hiked up to a new (to us) peak in the foothills of the Cascade Mountains. At the summit, we found an old, worn, bronze marker embedded in the rock:

"Horse Lake Mountain, 4,670 feet elevation."

We could even see Mt. Rainier (14,411 feet) southwest of Seattle. We didn't know there was a Horse Lake Mountain! Later we found it on a map. There's Horse Lake Road in Wenatchee.

The next day (yesterday), we walked 4.5 miles of trails above Squilchuck State Park in the shade. In the first mile, our legs were hurting; then our legs felt better.

A man's unleashed German Shepard panicked us. Dogs are required to be leashed.

"I know a quick short-cut out of here," Karen said, "Come on." We ran downhill to the car, holding our speed so the dog wouldn't see us as fleeing prey. It didn't run after us. Whew.

Last night, throbbing legs made it hard to fall asleep. "Let your legs recover," I thought, rolling my eyes. I remember lying awake in the tent with throbbing legs and hips on backpacking trips.

Photos by Karen with her I-phone:

1. Yellow Balsomroot flowers frame mountains. From the summit of Horse Lake Mountain.

2. Spring Beauty flower, aptly named.

3. Summit of Horse Lake Mountain.

4. A Trillium with four flowers. They usually have one. We never saw this before.