Intentional Tonic5 miles round trip / Elevation Gain: 1,200 feet
A few weeks back, JR and I hiked the Phantom Creek Trail to Slough Lake. It was a beautiful hike the whole way, and we were rewarded with a scenic lake in a glacier-carved meadow at the top. We saw exactly zero other people on the entire hike up. We spent an hour or so walking around the lake, eating lunch, and enjoying the views. On the way back down we saw a total of four people. It’s great to feel like we have this wilderness all to ourselves, especially after fighting city crowds over the last many years. However, there’s something to be said for “safety in numbers.” More people equals more noise which makes the possibility of a meeting with large wildlife much less likely to occur. It’s definitely a trade-off. Bear spray is always in our packs.
Then again, while we were at the lake, we were lamenting the fact that we saw nothing more than birds and fish. I wouldn’t mind seeing a moose across the lake. After all, we started our hike early. Nothing up close and personal though, please. Out here, they tell you to let the person that runs the slowest carry the bear spray. Comforting, right? Especially when you know you are the slowest.
We did come across some “scat” which finally allowed me to pull out the Scats and Tracks book. We deduced it was beaver/badger poo. Let me tell you, this book can be humorous in it’s description of scat. But beware, it is not pre-dinnertime reading!
Alright – enough of the talking. Here are some pictures from the hike. Enjoy!
JR on the trail
Valley
Yep, there’s still snow up there!
Scat!
Phantom Creek
Ooooh, aaahhhh
Slough Lake
The beauty shot – our lunch spot
Climb the mountains and get their good tidings.
Nature’s peace will flow into you as sunshine flows into trees.
The winds will blow their own freshness into you…
while cares will drop off like autumn leaves.
~John Muir
