Yeah I think the north trailhead is the better choice this weekend given the rain they had earlier in the week. The ranger station mentioned the southern loop has a few washouts that are still being cleared and I would rather not deal with that detour. I checked the elevation profile and the northern route has a more gradual climb so we won't be pushing too hard in the midday heat. We should plan for about six hours with breaks at the ridge overlook and the lake turnaround. I will bring extra snacks and the portable filter in case we need to refill water along the way. Meeting at the parking lot by 645 should give us enough time to gear up and hit the trail before it gets crowded. Let me know if that timing works for your schedule or if you need to shift it by half an hour.

I tried that roasting approach you suggested with the root vegetables and the results were really good. Getting the oven to 425 and giving everything enough room on the pan made a big difference in how they browned. The carrots and parsnips caramelized nicely while the potatoes stayed creamy inside. I think the key was cutting them into even sized pieces so they cooked at the same rate. Next time I might add a bit more thyme and try tossing them with a splash of vinegar at the end for brightness. The timing worked well at about 40 minutes with a stir halfway through. I served it alongside that herb roasted chicken and the combination was solid. Let me know if you have other vegetable combinations you have been experimenting with because I would like to try more variations.