Surprise lake

by oBelIX

A very very beautiful hike

At the town of Skykomish, the deli where we got food, Turkey with dijon, a vegetarian wrap and a toasted, all veggies-no-meat-no-fish-sauce sandwich

To get to the trail we crossed an unmanned railroad crossing, a gentleman and his lady were sitting in an SUV behind us, the engine ticking over.

 

It was overcast. Chilly. The world was wrapped in a blanket of mist and fog.

 

Come Hither!

 

We crossed this creek on a bridge made of two logs flattened and hewn together. The water was tumbling, gushing, falling over itself in an effort to get past.

The mist shrouded the tree tops, the hills from our view

 

The only mile marker on the trail

 

There is plenty of water on the trail. Creeks, gullies, waterfalls.

 

The last quarter mile is covered in snow.

 

Snow that is melting in places, feeding little ponds and creeks

 

The first view of Surprise Lake after countless number of foot-sinking-two-feet-in-soft-snow moments

 

The lake itself is breathtaking! It’s partly covered with ice, blue green and if you peer into the water you can see the rocks that line the lakebed. The northern end is shrouded in clouds and seems to be the source of the creek. The eastern shore, pictured above is forested, the mist clinging to the tree tops. At the southern end, to the far left of the photo, there is the ominous feeling of a mountain standing guard, Glacier Peak, watching over the lake.

Sitting by the lake, as a blast of cold alpine air stings your face and dries the sweat from your shirt, conscious of your feet getting numb because of cotton socks wet with snowmelt and munching on a cold Turkey sandwich you become aware of how silent it is, the tranquility.

 

It’s four and a half miles of absolute joy.

 

And literally getting your feet dirty

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