A feast on the beach

Yesterday (posting a day late as it was a long 12 hour day) my hiking friends and I went to Eastatoe River trail to make a 6 mile hike.  First time for these ladies who I met last year in March to make this hike.  They are kindred spirits for sure (and all younger than me!) 

We had two vehicles so we did not have to make a round trip (thank goodness!) so we started at the state park and went straight up hill into the rocky/rooty portion of the trail.   We had to stop several times for "breathing exercises" all along the way on this trail.  Elevation is so different than here at home.

We saw many many flowers and crossed two wobbling suspension bridges.  Woo,  that was fun!    My knees got a little watery on the higher one.

Toward the end of the hike we came upon a "beach" area below the trail at the river.  I mean "BELOW"!  There were so many butterflies that I told them I was going down.   They all agreed to give it a try.   It was almost a butt slide  down to a fallen tree then a climb over the tree (coming back up involved lots of giggling and contortion from this short legged person to hoist her body back up over the tree from the downhill side! They should have shot a video!)   Anyway,  after clearing some brush away that was blocking the way to the bottom  we stopped on the edge at the treeline to get photos.   After a few photos we decided to sit on the rocks to see if they would come back toward us.  I shot a short video of them fluttering around.  Some of them finally got used to us being there and flew back down to the beach area.   I have no clue what they might have been eating there.

It was so amazing sitting in the sit on a rock next to singing water with butterflies flying around us.  No words to describe it.

It was an excellent day in the forest with a good meal at the end where we planned our next hiking adventure.    They might think twice about letting me pick the hike as this was a strenuous hike but most hikes in the mountains are tough because of the elevation change.  

Some other photos of the day in the extras.  The river view with the first bridge (the other was much higher!), the trail, trillium, wakerobin and the beginning of second of the swinging bridges.  We all had a moment getting our mind on crossing.  I told them.."Ya"ll go first!"