I made my way up the most traveled part of the Eagle Creek Trail, passing all the falls and eventually hitting snow pack at around 3000 feet.  At times, the trail became lost under snow and stressed vine maple. A little hunting got me past the creeks and through the snow, finding the trial without too much hastle.

Once the trail flattened out, I knew I was close.  As I had never come this way to the lake, everything was new.  The snow at times was well over 6 feet deep as I crossed over snow bridges covering cracks in the snow that would have cleared my head easily.  I fumbled my way in the direction I thought was correct and came upon a sign telling me something that I could not read.  I just looked east and saw the lake, half frozen.

I plodded on and soon arrived.  The lake was eerie as it was covered 200 feet above it's surface in clouds.  I had a sit and a think while I munched down some GORP.  Things here were lonely as there was not a sound to be heard.  No birds singing or bees buzzing.  Nothing.  I enjoyed it here, now, as much as I did in fall, if not more.   Lunch over, I shouldered my pack and made my way back.

I tried to get a self portrait with the lake in the background, but the trees pleasantly got in the way.  I sloshed my way down the trail, heading towards the Eagle-Tanner Trial that forks off of the Eagle Creek Trail.  

Passing the fork, I remembered a not-so-well-known spot that Heather and I camped at over two years ago and decided that I would take a break there before the long, flat stretch back to the truck.  I leaned against a log that we had used while making dinner, thinking how nice it was that I had a place so special in my memories.  With a smile on my face and a song in my head, I whistled while making my way back to the parking lot, happy that my 27 miles was filled with unforgettable sights and memories.

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