June 7
I pulled into the trailhead for Willow Creek Trail and immediately was drawn to the sound of rushing water. Even before I got my stuff together, I had to go check out the stream making all the water music.
Soon I was checking that I had all my stuff for the day - water, snacks, hat, GPS, camera, extra battery, walking sticks. I started off in a jacket but it wasn't long before I had to take it off and before 10:00 A.M., I had to convert my pants to shorts. The hike went up along Willow Creek for about a mile and a half. The creek was mostly out of sight but the sound was always fortissimo. When I could see it, the water was leaping, boiling, and spraying as it roared down the creek bed.
Finally I turned and crossed the creek, following a new trail to Albro Lake, my planned destination. The sign said it was four miles away. After climbing through more forest, and sometimes up very rocky areas, I came to an beautiful meadow, filled with flowers, abuzz with bees and with long views to other mountains, some still snow-covered.
Then I reached the far side of the mountain meadow and descended through a mix of forest and meadows. I crossed a couple of streams and passed one area of huge rocky outcropping. Then I came to a series of signs and found the sign for Albro Lake and turned off the two-track trail onto a one track that was decending.
I continued to cross streams - think I got to five until I reached a really big one with no way to cross without getting wet. That is where I decided to turn back. The next stream back was only about a quarter of a mile away. Right after I crossed that, I met the only people I saw all day - three dirt bike riders.
But where, you say, is the lake? When I climbed back up from going mostly downhill, and crossing 4 streams, I checked the signs again. I should NOT have turned on the single track, but stayed on the double track for another mile. However, by the time I figured this out, I just hoped to be able to do another three plus miles and make it back to the car.
I hiked this trail in record time - for the slowest time ever. I did around eleven miles in 11 hours. I was totally not in shape for all the elevation changes. Of course, I spent almost half the time stopping to take pictures, and chase birds, butterflies, and bees. I was tired for two more days - probably also due to the fact that I slept about 4 hours a night for three days straight. I drove from the trailhead to my campground, about an hour away, stopping only for supper in Ennis, and barely got my tent up and my sleeping pad aired up before crashing. I had to get up at 4:00 A.M. and break camp so I could do a dove survey, so I barely got home, around noon, before I went to bed again. But this hike was so worth the effort.
This is coming out on June 21. Happy Summer Solstice Day. Hope you take the time to get out and enjoy nature. I'm planning to work in my garden and take a hike.
I pulled into the trailhead for Willow Creek Trail and immediately was drawn to the sound of rushing water. Even before I got my stuff together, I had to go check out the stream making all the water music.
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| My first view of Willow Creek from the bridge |
Soon I was checking that I had all my stuff for the day - water, snacks, hat, GPS, camera, extra battery, walking sticks. I started off in a jacket but it wasn't long before I had to take it off and before 10:00 A.M., I had to convert my pants to shorts. The hike went up along Willow Creek for about a mile and a half. The creek was mostly out of sight but the sound was always fortissimo. When I could see it, the water was leaping, boiling, and spraying as it roared down the creek bed.
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| View near the beginning of the trail |
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| Balsamroot flowers glowed in the early sunlight |
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| View upstream on Willow Creek at one of the few viewing points |
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| Yellow glacier lillies made groundcovers beneath the trees |
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| Close view of yellow glacial lily |
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| Shooting stars |
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| I think this is a uinta chipmunk checking me out |
Finally I turned and crossed the creek, following a new trail to Albro Lake, my planned destination. The sign said it was four miles away. After climbing through more forest, and sometimes up very rocky areas, I came to an beautiful meadow, filled with flowers, abuzz with bees and with long views to other mountains, some still snow-covered.
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| Yodelers definitely seemed called for here - but alas they were missing - but it should have sounded something like this |
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| View to mountains |
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| Closer look at wildflowers |
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| Bumblebees, as well as smaller bees, were frantically gathering pollen |
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| Another view |
Then I reached the far side of the mountain meadow and descended through a mix of forest and meadows. I crossed a couple of streams and passed one area of huge rocky outcropping. Then I came to a series of signs and found the sign for Albro Lake and turned off the two-track trail onto a one track that was decending.
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| Rocky outcropping |
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| Some streams were also the path |
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| Clark's Nutcracker - one of a pair |
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| Trail along a mix of trees and meadow |
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| Amazing "wall" of stone a long way down in the valley |
I continued to cross streams - think I got to five until I reached a really big one with no way to cross without getting wet. That is where I decided to turn back. The next stream back was only about a quarter of a mile away. Right after I crossed that, I met the only people I saw all day - three dirt bike riders.
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| Another stream - this is where I decided not to keep going and try to cross this |
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| One of dirt bike riders crossing a stream |
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| Mushrooms glowing in the evening sun |
But where, you say, is the lake? When I climbed back up from going mostly downhill, and crossing 4 streams, I checked the signs again. I should NOT have turned on the single track, but stayed on the double track for another mile. However, by the time I figured this out, I just hoped to be able to do another three plus miles and make it back to the car.
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| Another beautiful mix of wildflowers |
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| Down around the curve will be the trailhead - I'm saved |
I hiked this trail in record time - for the slowest time ever. I did around eleven miles in 11 hours. I was totally not in shape for all the elevation changes. Of course, I spent almost half the time stopping to take pictures, and chase birds, butterflies, and bees. I was tired for two more days - probably also due to the fact that I slept about 4 hours a night for three days straight. I drove from the trailhead to my campground, about an hour away, stopping only for supper in Ennis, and barely got my tent up and my sleeping pad aired up before crashing. I had to get up at 4:00 A.M. and break camp so I could do a dove survey, so I barely got home, around noon, before I went to bed again. But this hike was so worth the effort.
This is coming out on June 21. Happy Summer Solstice Day. Hope you take the time to get out and enjoy nature. I'm planning to work in my garden and take a hike.
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