Sky Lakes Basin – Blue Lake

Nine of us headed out on what turned out to be our first winter hike. Snow was falling as we approached the trailhead and it was 32 degrees. There was about an inch of snow on much of the ground. Many of us realized we had not changed the contents of our backpacks from summer (think insect repellent) to winter (extra pair of gloves) hiking. The trail was in good shape with only a few logs in the way. This is a hike through the forest, passing several lakes along the way.

The weather was entertaining. Sometimes we had sunshine that would warm us up. Several of us decided to put our arms out to act as solar collectors. Other times we had sunshine with snow falling and then just gray skies. Overall it was a good winter weather hike.

We noticed that the trees had been aggressively trail marked and the cuts were lower compared with some of our other hikes that have blue square markers, so it had to be for moving supplies during the summer a long time ago.

The views at the lakes was spectacular with some high fog, calm water (great reflections) and wonderful surroundings. We had a short lunch at Blue Lake. But since it was cold, sitting around enjoying the views was less important than getting warm by moving back down the trail.

It was nice to be out and about with a good group of people. Thanks for keeping me company.

Keeley

Hike Leader: Keeley

Photos By: Barry, Bob, Jerry, Keeley