Heather Lake

Another weekend, another hike!

The squad's last hike happened to be on the last day of summer and last week was our one year anniversary of our first hike together. Unfortunately all of our schedules are completely off and prevented a majority of our group from going. Nonetheless, Aaron, Hunter and I still decided to go.

After the Gothic Basin debacle, we wanted an easy hike with a great view. Deliberations took a bit, but we settled upon Heather Lake off of the Mountain Loop Highway (it's just a road with a bunch of hikes).

We hit the road bright and early at 7:30 am. Hunter fell asleep in the back seat and I was forced to navigate, which is never a good idea, but Aaron managed just fine.

After dodging about 1,000 potholes, we made it to the parking lot and hopped out into the mist. We threw on our raincoats, knowing wholeheartedly we'd take them off in about 10 minutes (we did). The hike itself increased gradually and was steep at times. The worst part was the awkward humidity and mist which was not refreshing whatsoever.

Nearing the lake, the trail turned into snow!!! This was the first snow I've seen all year.

We had to be careful where we stepped in order to prevent falling deeper into the snow. There were a few more moments where I almost slid down. It was fun, the snow added a new element to the hike!

As we emerged from the trees the frozen lake and snowcapped mountains came into view.

We wandered around the lake for a bit and settled down for some snacks while watching the fog roll on to the lake and through the trees.

It was like a winter wonderland with fog clouding the peaks of the mountains.

By this time, we were freezing from not moving, so we threw on some layers and went to the trail. Going back down proved to be slightly more difficult because gravity wasn't helping us out on the snowy down hills. Let's just say sliding down was way easier.

We finished off the day with some well deserved Chick-Fil-A. A solid day with my favorite boys!