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Day 9 (Mon, 8/04).  Indian Bar to Maple Creek (2750 ft elev).   Backpacked 10.00 miles with 1765 ft gain and 4092 ft loss.   Visited Box Canyon.

While leisurely eating breakfast (a big meal again), took some pictures of sun shining on the Mountain but the pictures did not quite come out right.    As usual, we headed out around 0630.   Again, I was the last one to leave the Cabin.   Basically, we had all day to get to Maple Creek.    Only way to get lost was to get on the Cowlitz Divide Trail.   Bill and I decided to take our time getting to Maple Creek.     He used his binocular to look for wild animals.    I heard of a coyote calling but did not see it.     The highest point for the day was fully loaded with flowers.  Some were withering.     We spent some time there.  And Bill was able to make a call from there !     The ridge top was pretty bad with the bugs.   If moved around,  it's ok,  but if remained in stationary,  the bugs were all over.

On the way down below the Cowlitz Divide trail,   I dropped my water bottle at some place.   I ran up the trail about 1/2 mile and recovered it right on the trail.    Then, the bottle fell out again but hit my leg.    There was a big hole on my backpack water pouch.   (There was a hole on the net but it got bigger.  At the Maple Creek Camp site,  I sewed it up. )

Trail to box Canyon was in the woods.    Kim, Fred, and Bill were relaxing on the rock walls, Box Canyon parking lot.    I joined them and did a quick tour around the Box Canyon (both lower and upper areas).   There were many visitors.  The Canyon was not formed by the Volcano but by the River !   

The Maple Creek camp site was nice.  It was small but fit our 9 tents.    Looked like skeeters were not bad but some flies were bad at some time.    Dave ended up eating dinner in the tent.   Bugs got less later in the day.     At the Maple Creek,  I shampooed my hair for the first time in 9 days !    It felt so good.

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