This route never disappoints, even in less-than-ideal conditions! Between the two of us, this is our collective sixth time completing the loop. We headed out just before noon, fully aware that we were signing up for peak heat and sun exposure, but that’s part of the fun.
The first third treated us kindly: shaded trail, two deer on the plateau, one ripe thimbleberry consumed on the spot (sorry, bears!), and a big bull elk crashing through the brush just off the trail. A few fresh log cuts on the climb to Black Mountain were a welcome surprise too, making the trail smoother and less meandering than we’ve ever had it.
Then the shade began to run out. The road section onward was every bit as hot and exposed as we’d anticipated. There were no more thimbleberries, and, at some point, even the stagnant ponds started to look refreshing. A second, seemingly younger bull elk graces us in the background half, which was exciting!
With about three miles to go, we realized we were on pace to go under Courtney’s previous time, so we initiated a consistent push down to and around the reservoir, culminating in a sprint finish to the car and a 7+ minute PR!
We celebrated by hiking back to a shaded picnic table overlooking the lake, where we soaked up the relaxing views and between the two of us consumed five cold drinks; we were clearly dehydrated! We even had a rare shark dog sighting, which, for those unacquainted, is a very cute dog on a paddle board wearing a life jacket styled like a shark fin.
Hot, exposed, and absolutely worth it. A wonderful way to spend time together in a beautiful place!