I wanted to take the dogs with me today, so I chose a shorter hike with a bit of elevation for a decent workout. Heather Lake is beautiful and I was hoping there would be wildflowers around it as well. I got there early and there were no more than 10 cars in the lot. As the recent WTA trip reports indicated, the potholes on the way to the trailhead were pretty gnarly.
Not far into the trail and I was glad the pups were on leash. I heard some squeaking and started looking around and there were several newly fledged baby wrens of some type hopping around clumsily in the undergrowth. They were tiny and cute and looked a little grumpy.
The trail up was pretty peaceful and I enjoyed familiar landmarks, like the large old growth stumps along the start of the trail, and the garden tree that is growing huckleberries and a small tree on its burls.
It was also quite muddy in places and Cedar and Luna were pretty grungy by the end of the hike.
The lake was also peaceful and sunny. No snow remains around the lake, so you can walk all the way around.
Cedar, Luna and I enjoyed some trail snacks on top of a boulder overlooking the lake. It was really relaxing and the temperature was perfect. Even Luna didn't seem to be in a hurry to leave.
The cliffs above the lake are still cascading with waterfalls from the snow melting higher up though. It's so beautiful!
The wildflowers were just starting, and I heard frogs singing and pikas squeaking. I glimpsed one, but couldn't get a photo of it.
Happy trails!
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