There were several hikes I wanted to attempt. I got to the Silver Lake trailhead about 5:00. I looked at the map that was posted and noticed that it said 3.5 miles. It's too late I thought. I will never make it. Then I see some people sitting in a vehicle. Maybe they know about the trail.
Two 20 something year old guys told me oh yeah you can do it. It won't get dark until later. It is worth the trip. It only took us a few hours. So then I thought well the 3.5 miles must be round trip. Ha.
--Note to self--when you are a fifty one year old woman. Do not. Do not compare your self to a twenty something year old guy. Don't even double it. Maybe triple it.
This hike was rough. Rock scrambling is hard on my knees. The weather was turning colder. It looked like it might storm. The night before it had snowed a foot in these mountains and I would see still patches of snow along the trail. I knew I was in a bit over my head, but I could not give up so I kept plodding forward. With every turn or uprise I would think I had made it finally to the lake. Disappointing, but I again kept moving forward.
I can't even discribe how important these solitary trips are for me. They take deep down energy. No when else is there to rescue you. Here's the thing, If I had been with other people they would have talked me into turning back. Once I have set a goal, it is really hard for me to give it up. Maybe one day I will learn my lesson and be smart instead of stubborn.
Finally I made it to the lake. Just as it began to snow. Not super heavy snow, but nevertheless, snow. I was a bit worried, but then I heard voices. Ok, there were other people here so if we needed to, we could form a huddle and survive the bitter cold night. Maybe I would survive. Or maybe they would find us all huddled together in a frozen circle. Well, before we huddled I wanted to make sure that I took photographs of Silver Lake. After all, that was the whole purpose of this death defying hike.
The landscape was incredible and the lighting superb. The photos on this trip are some of my best. When you are looking for photo elements you are on hyper mode and notice things that other people wouldn't even notice. The shape of a cloud. The way a tree bends into the wind. The ripples in the water.
It stopped snowing, so I didn't have to huddle with complete strangers. By the time I made it back to the jeep it was 9:30. By the time I made it back to the campground it was past 10:00 and I was locked out. I have never heard of anything so silly. Curfew at a campground. I parked near the locked gate, grabbed whatever stuff I could and after that death defying I had to walk another mile through the locked gate to my trailer. My, oh my.
This is the view from trail 036.
This is the view from Silver Lake down into the valley from which I came.
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