Applegate Lake

Ended up with a sunny day. We did the first loop left up the hill and then back down to Payette Trail. Hit the usual lunch spot and lingered a bit in the fine weather. The water was sufficiently low in Applegate Lake that we took the shortcut across after lunch. It was sufficiently high that you had to search for a suitable crossing point. I arrived across the stream with only a damp big left toe. The others showed great agility in hopping from rock to rock.

The one disturbing element was some gunfire. Even more disturbing was a shot that seemed close by above us. We made suitable noises to alert the shooter to our presence and heard no more. I would have really sorted him out but thought he might be another lost Russian searching for Kyiv.

We once again escaped the fog and found sunshine. I decided to get people warm by using the French Gulch TH and then climbing left up to the top and down Osprey. The trail was in great shape and we did a good job of tackling the hill.

After that, we made good time along the Payette Trail to the lunch spot. It was nice and warm on the side of the lake so we lingered in the sun. After lunch we crossed the Lake, skipping across the remaining stream with ease. Having saved a mile and a half of hiking, we set out at a fast pace back to French Gulch.

So we had some good exercise ascending 1000+ feet in the morning and a fast walk thereafter. We did 8+ miles on the way.

Some of us stopped by Boomtown on the way home.

Hike Leader: Unknown