Lake 22

 I want to start this blog off by saying i love Washington, especially this summer more than most. Let me explain this a little first. For the last seven years, i lived in Los Angeles, CA. Which means my summer was filled with endless sun. Now for some people that is awesome, but for a native lover of Washington, sometimes i just need some overcast and clouds. This weekend in the middle of July did not disappoint. Saturday was a usually nice and warm summer day here, the sun was out, and so were all the people. I choose that day, to sit at home and take the dog for a walk, work on some homework, and generally be lazy. But Sunday i was determined to go hiking. So when i awoke early Sunday morning to look outside and see clouds, and rain, i was pleasantly surprised, and eager to get on the road to the mountains.
 Since i had woken up early enough, and was on the road by 8 i knew i could do a more popular trail with minimal crowds. Plus with the low hanging clouds, and heavy raindrops splattering across my windshield, i knew that it would delay some of the typical hikers. I decided on this day to hike to lake 22, a lake i thought i had tried to hike before, but at reaching the trail head, immediately off the road, i knew i hadn't. I arrived in the parking lot, and was greeted by only 3 other cars, with a group just leaving and another pulling up as i was getting out of my car. I note this, because i like to Hike in somewhat solitude. i enjoy wandering through the woods, with nothing but the sounds of the Forest around me. Especially on days like today with the rain penetrating the high canopy, creating a never ending waterfall of water spraying down from the tree tops. The sound of this, along with the normal sounds of the forest are like a wonderful symphony that i truly love to listen to. This can be easily interrupted by a loud group chatting it up in the forest, where your voice carries through the trees.
 My hike up to the lake was greeted by all of this. I kept a good pace with my puppy beaker, and only came upon two groups, that had stopped as i was heading up. I have found in doing more and more hiking with my puppy. That he is a ball of energy and greats everyone he sees on the way up, but on the way down he is much butter. My assumption is by the time he reaches the top all of his excess energy has been burned off, to where now he is that obedient dog i want him to be.

 The hike up to the lake was a wet one, that started with a light mist, that grew to large raindrops as we climbed higher into the cloud line. By the time we reached the lake, beaker and i were thoroughly wet. The lake sitting around 3500 ft still shockingly enough had snow drifts here and there. Now it was dirty snow to say the least, but that didn't stop Beaker from running around in it. I have found that Beaker loves the snow, and seeks and destroys any snow he can find. After a pleasant walk up to the lake, and stroll along the walkway that surrounded the lake, i decided it was time to head down.
Now the hike down was a completely different hike, as is usually the case, when i go early to a popular trail. So today as i hiked ,about halfway down, i start hitting crowds, or more like lines of people hiking up. And as i stroll by them i always notice the various levels of hiking gear people have on. You can always tell the people that were forced to come, in comparison to there counterparts that are always decked out in hiking gear.  Or the large groups of people that are their just to get out of the house, or the kid that is dragged along by his parent. I wonder if these people truly appreciate what they have around them. I know sometimes we take for granted those things we are so used to having around us. It truly takes travel, the ability to step into another world by simply stepping off an airplane or out of a car to a new destination. Something that forces you to open your eyes, and see the world around you.