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Lakes&Summits Member
Joined: 14 Jul 2010 Posts: 90 | TRs | Pics Location: N. Seattle |
Alta Mountain via Rachel Lake
Since tedious work commitments kept me in town on Saturday, thereby precluding an overnight on this stunning October weekend, I chose to settle for a day hike, something I have found increasingly less satisfying over time. Not watching the sun set, nor gazing up at the star-speckled firmament and greeting the moon, feeling the sun’s first warming rays on a frosty morning—it’s a piquant appetizer but lacks the sustenance of the main course. My consolation prizes on this Sunday, however, were twofold: my daughter agreed to join me for the first time in 2 years since the last time she swore she would never hike with me again, and the prospects of meeting D. Inscho, the inspiration behind my recent Deadhorse Meadow adventure.
I hadn’t been up to Lake Lila for years and had only vague recollections of the trail itself, which I found to be quite enjoyable despite gross overuse for obvious reasons of easy accessibility. There’s a rather steep section near the approach to Rachel Lake, and here my daughter reinstated her vow never to hike with me again. Apparently years of hauling a pack up and over passes has caused me to lose touch with what might possibly constitute a challenging trail to the casual hiker.
When we reached Rachel Lake (in just under 2 hours) we found a sunny spot on the shore where the flaming colors of foliage were serenely reflected in the lake, and I hoped my daughter might catch at least a mild case of mountain fever.
To my dismay, she continued to grumble and insist that such beauty existed in much more accessible settings (yeah, in Switzerland via gondolas, I mused). After a break and some coercing she reluctantly consented to continue on up the mile and a half to Lila, another steep climb followed by an easy ridgeline traverse.
I was spared the next onslaught of expletives by the timely appearance of Bodhran and D.I. himself on the trail before us. I abandoned any faint hopes of inspiring my daughter on to further exploration involving any gain in altitude; she decided to get a head start down while we and the dogs headed up to Alta. Views from the top (and the “delusional” top too) were outstanding. Sadly I started down, feeling somehow incomplete and abbreviated, not to mention envious that my companions were heading back to their camp by the tarn.
By the time I returned to Rachel Lake the afternoon sun was warm enough to inspire a brief dip--chilly, but still tolerable.
The rest of the way down was uneventful, as outbound trails tend to be, especially when walking back over them the same day. Looked for a fellow hiker’s lost eyeglasses by the waterfall, but no luck. When I reached the trailhead I saw a familiar-looking jacket hanging on the sign-in post. The brand-new down jacket my daughter had been carrying. Thanks to the kind soul who picked it up and hung it there and all the others that passed it by.
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D. Inscho Not bored yet...
Joined: 28 Feb 2010 Posts: 973 | TRs | Pics Location: Bellingham,WA |
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D. Inscho
Not bored yet...
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Sat Oct 23, 2010 10:42 am
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Hey Linda, you did it, photos with your report! Love the story too, funny account. Good to hear the trip from your perspective.
http://david-inscho.smugmug.com/
The key to a successful trip is to do the planning during work hours. -- John Muir
“My most memorable hikes can be classified as 'Shortcuts that Backfired'.” --Ed Abbey
http://david-inscho.smugmug.com/
The key to a successful trip is to do the planning during work hours. -- John Muir
“My most memorable hikes can be classified as 'Shortcuts that Backfired'.” --Ed Abbey
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Lakes&Summits Member
Joined: 14 Jul 2010 Posts: 90 | TRs | Pics Location: N. Seattle |
Yes, miracles of miracles. I had to give up on Picasa and upload to Imageshack. For reasons that elude me, Picasa just wasn't working. I went back and inserted pics in the Larch Lake report too... : - )
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Tom Admin
Joined: 15 Dec 2001 Posts: 17835 | TRs | Pics
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Tom
Admin
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Sat Oct 23, 2010 11:11 am
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Picasa still works. I'm guessing they changed your username if you recently merged your google and picasa accounts. You need to use the usename in bold at the end of "your gallery url" shown on this page: http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/settings#
Edit: I put in a workaround so old usernames should still work too.
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Lakes&Summits Member
Joined: 14 Jul 2010 Posts: 90 | TRs | Pics Location: N. Seattle |
Ah, thank you sooo much. I should have griped earlier; the trouble I would have saved myself! Works like a charm now.
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Slugman It’s a Slugfest!
Joined: 27 Mar 2003 Posts: 16874 | TRs | Pics
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Slugman
It’s a Slugfest!
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Sat Oct 23, 2010 11:39 am
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the Zachster Member
Joined: 17 Jan 2007 Posts: 4776 | TRs | Pics Location: dog training |
A bittersweet trip report. Such a beautiful place on a beautiful fall day.
"May I always be the kind of person my dog thinks I am"
"May I always be the kind of person my dog thinks I am"
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