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| The trail at the beginning |
Five of us (the maximum allowed at this time) decided to take the Upper Trailhead from Blanchard Mountain and hike up to Lily and Lizard Lakes. This is not an especially hard hike, but one of our favorites during the winter months. We'll be returning again soon. Our wilderness hikes are over for the season, as the road is closed to Artist Point already.
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| Back, Dianne and Terry; front, Mel and Chris |
It was chilly most of the day, but once we got moving we had to take off some clothes pretty quickly. You can see that the leaves are falling and we were enjoying the still air, with no rain.
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| Lily Lake |
It was not yet noon when we got to Lily Lake, but we had a small snack and then moved on to Lizard Lake via the Connector Link, where we would have our lunch.
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| Lizard Lake |
The only real difference between these lakes is their position in my photo lineup. I was pleased, though, with the reflection in this one. It was a nice place to spend maybe a half-hour for lunch, but we began to get cold, so we packed up and went back the way we had come.
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| Dianne, Terry, me, Chris |
We had donned much of our extra clothing, since as I said, the lunch break caused us to get pretty cold. We warmed up on our way back, however.
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| The return trail with lovely trees |
We covered almost eight miles and skipped heading up to North Butte, since we didn't think we'd have much of a view. Our elevation gain and loss was around 1,700 feet: enough to let us know we had a good workout, with good friends, and another day away from the news!
:-)
Clothing is everything when you're hiking or backpacking. It's easy to control the weather with clothing.
ReplyDeleteSimply beautiful. And a day away from the news is a HUGE bonus.
ReplyDeleteThe news is so depressing! Beautiful hike as always & awesome conversation...looks like Lily lake is aptly named?!!
ReplyDeleteSure is some beautiful scenery--love those tall trees :)
ReplyDeleteYou really have to pack a variety of layers. Glad they are still at least letting 5 go at a time. Loved the falling leaves.
ReplyDeleteI used to have that type of jacket that Chris wore, but have since donated it to Goodwill. I bought in Canada where it was cold, and it wasn't necessary here in Hawaii where it is hot. Lol.
ReplyDeleteLooks like you have gotten back into your old routine.
ReplyDeleteEight miles! I may not accomplish that in a year.
ReplyDeleteAnother good hike, good that your numbers have increased to five:) Have you seen the video of the Mountain Lion stalking that runner...scary!
ReplyDeleteA day away from the news with good company and nature sounds wonderful! We've got snow predicted here for tomorrow.
ReplyDeleteI love it when I get 10,000 steps on flat ground! You are an inspiration. We had our fist snow this morning. It was really pretty, but it's time for Florida!
ReplyDeleteA good hike!
ReplyDeleteWhat I wouldn't give to be able to join you on one of those hikes!
ReplyDeleteSince we’re not able to get out much these days, I’m loving experiencing your walks vicariously. It’s all so wonderful, DJan.
ReplyDeleteThat was a good work out!
ReplyDeleteHa ha. It's always chilly when you start out, gets warmer as you go. Anyway, it's a nice trail.
ReplyDeleteLove all your pics, DJan... but that first one of the forest floor is great.
ReplyDeleteI find the days we spend cycling and walking or hiking are such a great relief from the news.
ReplyDeleteEight miles is a great hike. Here we have to wear layers again too. The wind can be cold these days. Take care, Jan.