chinooktrail
Active member
- Joined
- Feb 27, 2004
- Messages
- 981
- Reaction score
- 165
Well, the day was just too perfect for hiking to stay home all day and do housework... So I managed to sneak away after a few chores were started.I hit the trailhead a bit late, around 12:30 at Lafayette CG, and started up the Lonesome Lake Trail.
I have done this trail many times, in all kinds of weather conditions, and I never seem to tire of it for some reason. Today was no exception, but since I was hiking solo, I had the usual head down and full speed ahead thing going. I checked the watch when I got to the lake, hum, 32 minutes, that was easy,
I think that is a little faster than book time.I started around the lake, the part I really love, all those bog bridges to hop across, so much fun for whatever reason. Then I turned onto the upper section of the Lonesome Lake Trail.
The day was fantastic, perfect cool temps, and bluebird blue skies. The leaves were crunchy under my feet, and even with this nasty cold and a stuffy nose I could smell balsam in the air. Ahhh, fall hiking, nothing better.
Normally I don't like solo hiking, but for whatever reason, there I was doing it. (I even got the lame excuse of 'gee, I just donated one of my kidneys 2 weeks ago' sheesh!. She really did.
) But today, I was really into it for some reason. I just really enjoyed being out there, with nothing but my own thoughts and troubles to work on. Once I got to the Kinsman Ridge Trail and took a left I had the trail to myself. I really enjoyed this short steep to the Cannonball, and the lookouts along the way over to Cannon and across the way to Lafayette, Lincoln and Liberty, very enjoyable. After a while I realized I was headed down and over to the next Cannonball, which was unfortunately not on the agenda for today. So, once back at what I am guessing is the summit I took a photo of the trees, and then went back to one of the great 'lookovers' and had some chocolate to celebrate.
On the way back down I stopped a number of times to just enjoy the quiet and solitude in the woods. I took in the smells and just listened to the wind in the trees and enjoyed all the fall colors. Very peaceful and calming.
Once I returned to the 'around Lonesome Lake Trail' I decided to take a right and continue around the lake, very enjoyable, and lots more bog bridges to play on. I decided to skip going up to the hut, and just started to make my way back down the trail.
Another great day to be alive.
