Iron Goat Trail - Wellington

We went hiking today - back to our old favorite, the Iron Goat Trail. But this time we finally found the Wellington trailhead and hiked on a different section than we had hiked before... or actually came from the other end of the trail to a middle point that we had ended a previous hike at. So we saw new things, but ended up at a familiar point.

We have been so fascinated by the railroad construction remnants that are along this trail - in this area are the concrete snow sheds that were built to protect the trains from avalanches. The rails themselves were salvaged and removed years ago but the concrete structures still remain, many of the tunnels are still open at least on one end, there are iron spikes and rotted railroad ties... and flowers and green everywhere.

So, getting back, for a minute, to the "familiar point" part - the Windy Point overlook - I seemed to remember there being a potty. And being at a point at which a potty seemed particularly like a useful thing to find, we went looking for it, and sure enough, a sign directed us down a little side trail...

This whole railbed/trail business means that you are basically walking along a ledge on a very steep mountainside. And while the ledge is wide enough not to give you the heebie-jeebies, any little side trail is necessarily going to have to go either up or down, and pretty steeply at that. And so was the case for the trail to the potty. A downhill section, then a switchback and other significant down hill - right on the side of the mountain. Look up and the entire valley is before you. ALL of the valley and the whole of mountain on the other side - the highway, the active railroad switch yard below... what I mean to say is that this section opens up to God and everything. And there was the potty. Well, pictures say it best, from sign, to potty, to what I wanted to call your particular attention to, which is the view you would have if you were actually sitting ON the potty: