Relax

Today was a more relaxed day with less driving.  We went for a hike to Avalanche Lake which was a 4.6 mile hike  with a 741 ft elevation gain-not much for some and too much for others.   It was interesting to watch people of all capabilities make their way to the beautiful lake surrounded by  mountains.  We saw 4 very pregnant women, some very young children and older adults (ie older than me), several woman carrying babies,  but  we  only saw  a couple of men carrying babies.  Some people had bear spray,  other people were leaving a trail of crumbs as they ate their way up the trail, and we even saw a man with  a gun strapped to his chest.  The only critter we saw was a mini bear (aka: also know as chipmunks but my brother, Dave, always called them mini bears.)

The early part of the trail was “The Trail of the Cedars” which was a mossy, lush forest of huge cedar trees.  The smell was amazing and the moss inviting.  It looked like a great place to curl up for a nap.

Avalanche  lake was a pristine, turquoise lake that had never been touched by damaging run off from lawns or farms.  It was refreshingly cool after a warm hike. Words nor pictures can capture the beauty.

Following the hike we ate lunch by a stream and took a nap in the hammocks.  It was great to have a day that was not so jammed packed.