The Time Between
Lodge Lake, Pacific Crest Trail, Washington
Lodge Lake lies along the Pacific Crest Trail near Snoqualmie Pass. (I saw about a dozen northbound PCT thru hikers on the trail today and had the opportunity to chat with a few of them, which I always enjoy.)
Though it was dry at home the rain began to fall shortly before I reached the trailhead, but the clouds and the wet suited my mood today and it has been a quite awhile since I hiked in the rain, so I donned my waterproof jacket and inhaled the satisfying scent of rain dampened forest.
The lake was draped in fog today and the surrounding mountains stayed hidden in the clouds. But the surrounding foliage was lush and green and every once in awhile some glimmers of light would filter through the mist. Those glimmers alternated with wind and rain however, so I was glad I had brought a hat, gloves, and an extra fleece layer as it got quite chilly sitting by the lake.
This time of late summer is a bit of a lull in the hiking season as the alpine wildflower meadows are fading and the bright colors of fall have not yet started to show. And as has become the sad reality of summer the last few years, wildfires and smoke make many trails inaccessible or inadvisable.
But sometimes, a short hike to a small lake and the chance to sit in silence and solitude with the forest and the (invisible) mountains is enough to untangle some of the threads in one’s mind and fill one’s soul.
The Time Between
Lodge Lake, Pacific Crest Trail, Washington
Lodge Lake lies along the Pacific Crest Trail near Snoqualmie Pass. (I saw about a dozen northbound PCT thru hikers on the trail today and had the opportunity to chat with a few of them, which I always enjoy.)
Though it was dry at home the rain began to fall shortly before I reached the trailhead, but the clouds and the wet suited my mood today and it has been a quite awhile since I hiked in the rain, so I donned my waterproof jacket and inhaled the satisfying scent of rain dampened forest.
The lake was draped in fog today and the surrounding mountains stayed hidden in the clouds. But the surrounding foliage was lush and green and every once in awhile some glimmers of light would filter through the mist. Those glimmers alternated with wind and rain however, so I was glad I had brought a hat, gloves, and an extra fleece layer as it got quite chilly sitting by the lake.
This time of late summer is a bit of a lull in the hiking season as the alpine wildflower meadows are fading and the bright colors of fall have not yet started to show. And as has become the sad reality of summer the last few years, wildfires and smoke make many trails inaccessible or inadvisable.
But sometimes, a short hike to a small lake and the chance to sit in silence and solitude with the forest and the (invisible) mountains is enough to untangle some of the threads in one’s mind and fill one’s soul.