Ashland Lakes Trail 7-29-12

I tried to do this hike last spring, but ran into a lot of snow, which my barefoot shoes didn't do much to protect me from.  So I made it only as far as Upper Ashland Lake.  This time I was determined to finish and get to the 3rd lake, Lower Ashland.  Getting into the mountains will cure whatever ails you, and Adventure Dog seemed to particularly enjoy it also.

Pardon me, whilst I go nerd on you, but right off the bat on this hike I was excited to see the largest congregation of slime mold I have ever seen.  This spot was over a foot in diameter.

A lot of this trail is wet... .some of it VERY wet...

Dual-purpose Stream-Trail

So much of it, including around Upper Ashland is made up of a variety of boardwalks.

There were also these "step" some of which were really more like rocks, as you can see.  This trail is not a good one for barefoot shoes as it turns out, even without snow.  I caught one of my pinky toes on a root a couple times and I've been limping around for days with a swollen foot.  Rocks and roots are stronger than feet apparently.

The first lake you get to is Beaver Plant Lake.  It's a nice serene lake, and despite a lot of bugs around they didn't bother much with me.

The next lake is Upper Ashland, and you can go all the way around it on a loop part of the trail.  I veered to the left and then went on toward Lower Ashland on the far side, and then came back on the side of Upper Ashland I hadn't seen yet.

There were flowers blooming along the trail, especially around the lakes where the sun could get to them best.

 There were also shade-loving flowers opening up below the shady trees.

The third lake was my favorite, and that was Lower Ashland.  I did this hike late in the day and knew I was the only one out there by the time I hit this last lake.  There were a lot of huckleberries so I figured bears might be about (I would be hanging out there if I were a bear for sure!) If it had been earlier I would have liked to have spent quite a bit more time at this third lake.  It even had a cute bridge that I didn't take the time to cross.

When I left this bush, not all of these huckleberries were still there.  Bwahahaha!

One of the most fascinating things on this hike happened to be the trees.  They were old and huge and gnarly and twisted and gave this trail a different aura than other trails I've been on around here.  Here are some of the characters I met.

Doorway Tree

Trip-You Tree

Hollow Ent Tree

Heather Lake 7-8-12

Heather Lake, beautiful at all times of year, is particularly striking in her spring colors.  Snow still hangs out in patches, but the boardwalks are mostly clear, wildflowers are starting their show, and wildlife is abundant for the watchful (not just mosquitos either!)  The trail itself is a pleasant, although consistently elevation gaining. There are interesting trees, and I have always loved fierce devil's clubs.

There are quite a few places that streams cross the trail, so be prepared to get your feet wet.  I suppose if you are a native of the Northwest though, you are always prepared to get your feet wet.  In the warmer months my preference is barefoot shoes, so I can get that cooling effect and then dry quickly. Here Adventure Dog demonstrates the proper method of partially crossing a stream and then looking back to make sure your human is fording it successfully before going on.

After toiling mostly uphill for a couple miles, it is breathtaking (if you have any left) to see through the trees the rugged cliffs that rise up above the lake.

Then you are out at the lake's edge, looking at its reflective surface, and the jagged, waterfall-covered rock cliffs that stand over it.

The boardwalks that go around a lot of the lake are a lot of fun.  They are bendy and warpy, but solid and more photogenic than a straight flat boardwalk would be.

Be careful at some times of year, when avalanche danger is high.  Even with most of the snow gone, there are remnants of some pretty powerful avalanches that I needed to scramble across.

And now I believe I mentioned wildflowers and wildlife!  Let's start with the wildflowers:

And now for the cute little critters.  Just before I got to the lake, this junco was hanging out on a rock and posed nice and still for me.

Going around the lake, there were a couple of frogs.  One was unabashedly skinny-dipping and the other was crouched down on a log hoping I wouldn't see him.  I don't think he likes wildlife paparazzi.

And lastly, can you see this baby trout?  I hope so because I had to hold very still and take many shots to get this, whilst mosquitos descended on me and I was defenseless against them as I tried to get one that didn't blur or have water glare.