Fletcher Trail Part One

Driving up the mountain to the trail was an experience. The smoky air created a haze through the valley and I was unsure we would be able to hike. Stopping at the Visitor’s Center to speak with the rangers was a must to check on air quality and conditions. The verdict was that we still had time to hike safely. We were good on water and snacks but I still wanted to choose a quick out and back trail for safety reasons. The original goal was to hike the North Loop Trail, yet I decided on Fletcher. I had no idea the once thought of as a flat trail was actually a bit steep and an incline for the whole start. A lot can change when carrying a tiny human on my back. I am learning a lot in this new era of my life. Some of it, I am about to share with all of you.

Arriving in the parking lot was a feat in itself and we were lucky to have found a space. Then, there is the gathering of items, getting everything together, changing a baby, and getting her situated in the backpack. This is her favorite part of the entire experience. She loves being up in the air and among the trees. The water was ready, the snacks and diapers were packed. Good to go! Leaving the parking lot we ran into two hikers and I mentioned Ponderosa Pines smell like butterscotch if they wanted to smell them on the hike. They scoffed it off and hiked on, yet two really nice people overheard and said, “They do! Isn’t it so cool!” I love random, awesome people!!

After this I began our hike up, yes up, Fletcher Trail!! I will write more about our amazing experience in my blog on Wednesday, and for now I will leave you with these sketches I did. The sketch on the trail was a quick pen line with some circles to represent leaves. I painted the rest upon arriving home. I also created two small 4” x 4” paintings I included below. More will be written about them in the future blogs as well. If you would like to view or purchase one of these paintings, just click them and you will be directed straight to them on my website. I hope you all have a Marvelous Monday. Thank you for reading!

-Karen Hilliard