Thursday, December 12, 2013

Leaderless and Lost

Trekking poles at the Lost Lake junction
Lost? Lost Lake, that is. We were never really lost, although we sure did miss having Al with us. Our leader was feeling a bit under the weather, so nine of us Senior Trailblazers headed off without him, on a hike scheduled to take us to Lost Lake. Without Al, nobody really wanted to lead. The person most likely to lead us in Al's stead is Steve, who has plenty of experience, but he naturally hikes much faster than the rest of us, so if he were to lead (as we know from experience) he'd take off, turn around after awhile and find that none of us were anywhere in sight!
Amy, Steve, Karen, Fred, Mikey
I ended up hiking first, setting the pace, but I was unwilling to make any decisions. At the junction we discussed whether we wanted to simply do an out-and-back hike or make our way around the lake, as we would have done with Al leading. Steve hoped we would have a view, so we took the longer route, hiking up through clearcut. Although we knew it was supposed to rain, it hadn't made an appearance by this time, so off we went.
Baker in the distance, storm clouds overhead
Steve was right: we did get a view, but the wind was blowing hard, and it wasn't comfortable at all. And to make things worse (this happens sometimes when nobody is watching), we missed the turnoff that Al usually takes, and suddenly, Steve realized that we were a bit higher than the lake.
Lost Lake below us
We decided to take the faint snowy trail through the clearcut area to get back down to the lake, which was not much fun, but the recent cold weather meant that there was moderately firm footing down the trail to the lake. My knee sure doesn't appreciate steep terrain, especially when I'm going down, but there was nothing to do about it. When you're out there, you deal with it.
Three wise guys
We noticed that three of us were wearing red jackets, and with the green surrounding them, I couldn't help but ask for a seasonal picture. Steve, Doug and Fred were all more than happy to comply. We made it to the lake in time for lunch, and we speculated that in three hours of hiking we had covered quite a bit of ground. With no GPS (or Al) to tell us how far we'd gone, we gratefully stopped at our usual spot and enjoyed a quick lunch. Still no rain!
Lunch spot at Lost Lake
As the wind blew across the lake, we discussed that the lake looked rather strange. We figured out that it's because there is a thin film of water over ice! The recent cold weather froze much of the lake's surface, but warmer weather apparently melted the top layer. Or that's what we speculated, anyway. The water was definitely odd looking.
Icy waterfall
On the way back, we admired the design made by the frozen ice in this waterfall. By the time we were back on the trail that we knew well, most of us were anxious to reach the cars before the spitting sky opened up in earnest. And you know what? It didn't really start to rain until we got back! It was perfect timing, with nine of us having hiked more than ten miles and who knows how much elevation gain and loss. It was enough to make me very happy to be inside, writing this post. We had fun.
:-)

25 comments:

  1. yay for no rain! and really glad you only overshot a trail but didn't really lose lost lake. :) hope al gets to feeling better soon. i liked your 3 elves in the forest. :)

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  2. Although I don't comment here often - you keep me in awe. Both with your pictures and your activity! Hope Al is feeling better soon!

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  3. Such pretty photos. You were brave to hike without a trusty leader, but it turned out well. Good for you!

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  4. Sounds like you made the perfect adaptation - there is no reason that the pace setter has to be the route-finder. It is just a happy accident that I know most of the trails and am a slow walker, so that I'm comfy in both roles. (BTW I am the Al that usually leads our hikes.)

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  5. Glad you didn't experience any truly untoward events without Al. Hope your next hike is less eventful in that regard.

    Blessings ad Bear hugs!

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  6. wow that icy waterfall is pretty amazing...and you found a bit of adventure along the way...ha....even without your trusty leader...smiles.

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  7. A long hike with a dose of adventure! Nice!

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  8. Now when you're hiking you just have to have one leader. that one leader takes responsibility to watch the trail. 3 or 4 leaders and guess what? the trail is missed. You seem to have loads of luck when it comes to weather and beating the rain.

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  9. Loved that icy waterfall. And the views.
    And I am really glad (and unsurprised) that you had fun.

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  10. I wondered why the lake wasn't frozen when I looked at your photo. But it actually was, under a layer of water. How strange.
    I guess we don't really appreciate how important a leader is until we don't have one. Glad it all worked out.

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  11. Glad to hear you missed the rain. Even without your fearless leader it looks like everyone had a good time. I hope Al is feeling better soon.

    The icy waterfall is beautiful.

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  12. Well the jocks always say theirs no I in the word team. Obviously you turned out to have a good team. Even if you did miss one fork in the trail...:)

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  13. Aah, the three wise men in the forest - certainly has a Christmassy feel to that photo DJan - WE still haven't had any snow accumulation, just a dusting, but it sure has been cold - it is -22 this morning , but it will warm up I think. The experts say we will receive a storm today, tomorrow and Sunday - supposedly starting approx 4pm this morning - nothing yet - perhaps it will boot its way oot to the Bay Of Fundy. That is a really neat shot of the lake with the ice under the water - that happens here frequently, so I knew what you were talking about. Have a wonderful day :)

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  14. Another nice adventure. I like that frozen waterfall.

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  15. The scenery is so dramatic, and those red jackets make it even more so!

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  16. You remind me that despite the cold weather, I need to get out more and do things in nature. The way you describe and photograph what you see makes me yearn for raw nature. It makes me want to get out there.

    Funny how things change without the leader. Good life analogy.

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  17. That icy waterfall is magical and extraordinary at the same time.

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  18. Glad you weren't lost. Someone should get a GPS app on one of their phones...you might need it someday. Ten miles wow..my knee would be hurting too. Have a fun weekend! I am headed for some shopping and a cookie exchange today:)

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  19. Being a leader is not as easy as it looks ... but you got some great photos out of your trip!

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  20. I always enjoy my vicarious travels and adventures through you!

    May I paint that one picture of Lost Lake? Love that photo!

    Merry Christmas to you and Smart Guy.

    ((((((BIG HUGS))))))) to you.

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  21. Icy waterfall pic is great! And really glad that you weren't actually lost.

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  22. LOVE the icy waterfall!! Down is definitely harder with a bad knee. I am so very glad you all didn't actually get lost. The red folks were a hoot! :)

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  23. That frozen water is amazing. I've only seen the like of it on calendars, D-Jan. I enjoyed my walk with you this day, but I'm glad you weren't all really lost.

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  24. Senior trailblazers- I love the sound of that- senior trailblazers. Yes you are, yes I am. Your hiking all over and I ran 10 miles today in the training phase for the half marathon in Feb. Good for us!

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  25. I'm so glad it didn't rain, DJan. I love the icy waterfall, but it really brings home how cold it must have been. I'd follow you on a hike anywhere although you'd probably be too fast for me.

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