What a great birthday hike! Today with Karen and Julie, I hiked to Janus Lake, gaining 2,000' in elevation over 7.8 miles.

We hiked 1,000' in elevation up to Union Gap Pass, then descended sharply to Janus Lake. Then hiked arduously up to Union Gap Pass again, and descended steeply to the car. The extreme up/down reminded me of hiking in the Olympic Mountains.

On the Pacific Crest Trail, we met two thru-hikers coming from Mexico to Canada. They were almost done.

Two men started two weeks ago in Canada, heading south. One had a large dog with him. I don't know how he can possibly carry enough dog food. His dog was thin after two weeks.

PCT thru-hikers looked lean and fit. Their packs were like an extension of their bodies, pared down to the essentials. The men had beards.

They are hungry for fresh fruit and vegetables. I gave the first hungry thru-hiker we met grapes and carrots from my lunch. Karen gave him a fresh tomato. Julie handed him a bag of cookies.

"This tomato is incredible," he gushed, inhaling it. Next Karen handed him a large, chocolate ball. "I made it from chocolate/mint, vegan protein bars that got rock hard," she said. " I whirled the bars in the Cuisinart with dates and added more mint."

When he tasted it, he nearly swooned. The look he gave Karen said, "I'll follow you anywhere."

"Here's your birthday cake," Karen said, handing me a now-famous chocolate ball. "I brought one for each of us."