About the hike, a quick report:

[MikeWaters]

It doesn't much look like a bear track according to this website. Here is what they say a bear track looks like:
front paw

back paw


Compare it to a coyote track:

[hyrum]

Originally Posted by Zulu451

That and mouse traps, the little buggers were driving us nuts.

I heard they taste like chicken

[bigpiney]

This thread is useless without pics.

Using Treking Poles?? you probably wore gaiters too. sheesh.

[MikeWaters]

Originally Posted by bigpiney

This thread is useless without pics.

Using Treking Poles?? you probably wore gaiters too. sheesh.

I'll add some pics when I get the chance. I didn't take many.

Trekking poles are useful when you are an old man and need to protect your joints. They are useful in particularly rocky terrain when climbing and descending. They help during stream crossings. And as I said before, they can help you go FASTER, at the expense of increased cardiovascular effort. Plant both polls ahead of you, and then as you move forward, push off, like a skier. It propels you that extra 1mph faster.

[SeattleUte]

Originally Posted by MikeWaters

Raccoon finished off most of the rest of the upside-down cake, which was nice, but he didn't finish it, and like a typical ingrate, didn't clean it.

Raccoons are evil. I left my garage open for a few minutes the other day and then someone drove up to drop one of my kids off and stopped at the foot of the garage. He pointed and out of the garage came a big fat raccoon. It walked not ten feet from me and right by the car absolutely fearless and arrogant. I've had them get on their hind legs and growl like a grizzly bear at me.

[MikeWaters]

Here are a couple of pictures.

Track of what is probably a large coyote:


This is the mouse house we slept in: