Yeah I think the trailhead near Pine Creek is the best option for Saturday morning. We should aim to get there by 7am to beat the crowd and the heat. The loop trail is about 6 miles which gives us plenty of time to stop at the overlook. I checked the weather and it looks clear with highs around 75. Make sure to bring plenty of water because there aren't many spots to refill along the way. I packed some sandwiches and trail mix for lunch at the summit. Also I reserved a spot at the campground for Saturday night if you want to stay over. They have fire pits and picnic tables at each site. The ranger mentioned that the fall colors are starting to show near the higher elevations so it should be a nice view. Let me know if you need to borrow my extra hiking poles or a sleeping bag. I also have a portable grill we can use for dinner. We can stop at the grocery store on Friday evening to pick up anything else we need. I think Jake is coming too so I'll coordinate with him about the carpooling situation.

I also found a map online that shows a few alternate routes in case the main trail is too crowded. There is a shorter 3 mile loop that goes past a small waterfall and a longer 8 mile route that circles the ridge. We can decide which one to do once we see how everyone is feeling in the morning. The campground has restrooms and a small store for firewood and ice. I already reserved two sites next to each other so we have enough space for tents and the cooking area.

I went ahead and mapped out the raised bed layout for the backyard garden. The space gets about 7 hours of direct sunlight so most vegetables should do well there. I am thinking three 4x8 beds with a 2 foot path between them. For the first bed I will plant tomatoes and peppers since they grow well together. The second bed can have cucumbers and beans with a trellis system. The third bed I want to try carrots and lettuce for a continuous harvest. I already ordered soil and compost from the local nursery and it should arrive on Thursday. They suggested mixing in some perlite for better drainage which makes sense given how heavy our clay soil is. I also picked up some marigold seeds to plant around the edges to help with pest control. The drip irrigation kit I mentioned last week arrived yesterday and I tested it on the patio. It connects right to the spigot and has individual valves for each bed. I will need to run the tubing under the path sections but that should be straightforward. Let me know if you want to come by this weekend to help set things up.

I also checked on the seed starting supplies and we have plenty of pots and seed starting mix left from last year. I picked up a few new varieties of squash and some herbs like basil and cilantro. The nursery also had a sale on strawberry plants so I grabbed a dozen of those to put along the edge of the third bed. I think we can get everything planted by mid next week if the weather holds.