Y'all remember the wonders of Monty Python's favorite tree, right? You know, "The Larch. The... Larch." Well, it's one of our favorite trees, too. And pretty much everyone in the PNW loves this tree. So much so that we have the infamous Larch March every March... er... October. Since these guys live only in the mountains, it's a trek to see them, but it's usually worth it.
After fishing all day Saturday, the boy and I decided to try our luck at a trail close to The Shack. So as not to totally abandon Grandpa ("If there ain't a place to fish at the end of the trail, what's the point?") Jack, we started our hike in the dark. About half way up, the sun started to rise. Alas, there were no good views of the red sky, but it promised a good day for us if not superstitious sailors.
We started seeing larches. "LARCH!" I'd call out. "LARCH" and I'd point. "The Larch," I'd say without realizing the boy knew nothing of that famous sketch. "Ok, Dad. I get it. Stop." Fine.
At the first lake we were surrounded by larches, though they were a bit past prime. What does that mean? They had dropped many of their needles so instead of a mountainside covered in gold it was a little dreary looking. Piles of needles covered the ground and the shallows of the lake, though. Neat.
We continued to the upper lake that promised even better views for only a few more minutes hiking. The reports didn't lie. Although our approach was easy along a trail only partially hidden by golden detritus, the lake sits in a bowl surrounded by jagged peaks. It was about half frozen, but only about half an inch thick. First thing we did? Break off a chunk of ice and throw it to great effect.
The peaks around the lake look like they'd be excellent scrambling and not too sketchy. Alas, not this trip. However, there are so many great trails in this area I'm sure we'll be back. Besides, how can you beat this?
As usual, we did SCIENCE! along the way. This time we spotted a couple of pika and a squirrel. Awww, such a cute squirrel. As long as this little rat with good PR stays in the woods, I'm happy with it. But if I catch it causing thousands of dollars of damage to my cars at home, boy am I gonna be angry. But that's a story for a different post.
