Loch Vale

The problem with summer is that, in all reality, we get nothing done! The weather is too perfect to get your errands done. This weekend we had high hopes of looking for cars in the valley and doing a little shopping, just spending some kev and meg time together. That didn't happen. It was so lovely here in the mountains that we had to get out and explore. Let me tell you, I might have explored a little more than I wanted too on Saturday. We took a hike in the national park and it was so wonderful. It's been a while since we had done that!

Since Earth day was today, the park was free all weekend and it was packed! We almost didn't find a parking spot but luckily, the trail we took was less traveled. We started at the Glacier Gorge trail head and hiked about three miles inward to Loch lake. I had never been on this trail and didn't know what to expect. Let the pictures tell you, it was lovely. The best rock faces we've seen since being there! There was a little hiccup.

On our way back, we decided to go back another way, on a different  "trail" which was actually covered with snow like all the others. We assumed, just follow the footsteps and it will lead us. Wrong. Somehow we got lost in the national forest and for a minute, I almost panicked but thankfully, I had an eagle scout with me and thanks to my dads diligence, I'm a pretty decent map reader. Seth was with us too which always means we will be laughing and we did laugh the entire way down the mountain, mainly at him because the snow kept collapsing under him and his entire lower half would be in the snow. We were able to climb to the highest point and find a road to aim for. The problem was that on that side of the mountain, snow was deeper than our legs. Many times we fell through but it was still fun. I knew we would always make it home and it taught us a good lesson; always bring a compass.

Our original plan was for sky pond (another half mile+ past Loch) but it was impassable, at least without snow shoes (we had none). Next time.

[On our way to Sky Pond]