“Patience is the companion of Wisdom” (St. Augustine)
It is always exciting to go exploring on a new hike. It’s a place you’ve never been before with new sights and smells, and you never know quite what to expect. But this is what draws me to do it. This summer has been a very interesting hiking season, because the terrain was so varied due to the large amounts of snow that fell in the winter. It has taken different preparations with different expectations. The mindset that I found myself most in, was that of being patient and flexible. When you have a destination in mind, those two things can be a challenge.
My goal on a very hot day in mid-July was to hike to Smith Lake. I took my trusty companion, Adobe, and sought out some beauty and coolness up in the mountains. The trail begins at Wright’s Lake at the Twin Lakes Trail head. To get there, you take highway 50 east until you reach Wright’s Lake road where you make a left. Follow the windy road about 8 miles. Once you arrive at Wright’s Lake, you turn right and follow the road until you reach the parking lot for the trail head. It’s always a good idea to get there early as the lot can fill up, especially on the weekends.
The hike is 5.6 miles round trip and is rated as strenuous as there is quite a bit of climbing (the overall elevation gain is 1725 feet). The start of the hike is pretty flat and winds past Wright’s lake and through canals and meadows. The water was high and extremely clear this year! This area around Wright’s Lake is absolutely stunning. Once you move out of the meadow area, the climbing begins. The ascent it tough and you have to watch your footing at times. The good news is that the trail stays pretty close to the creek. This was also good news for Adobe, as he had plenty of places to cool off between the creek and the snow fields that we came across.
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Along the way there is a sign for desolation wilderness and also a junction to go either to Twin Lakes or to Smith Lake. Follow to the right towards Smith Lake. At this point the climb gets steeper. Don’t forget to turn around and check out the fantastic views (which you will see on your way back)! As I continued the trek, I started to encounter snow patches and snow fields that needed to be crossed carefully. Of course, Adobe loved this! Although, the snow made it difficult to stay on the trail at times. At 2 miles, I reached the first of three lakes, Grouse Lake. It was absolutely beautiful! There was still some snow along its’ banks and I could even see the massive water falling out of Smith Lake and down into Grouse. Adobe and I found a shady spot, took in the view and some lunch as well.
After lunch, I tried to find a good path to continue on to the other two lakes, but there was just too much snow. The trail was covered by the stream and then the snow pack was just too much to handle. I was a little frustrated by this, and I don’t usually give up to easily. But on that day, I had to remind myself that there is always another time to come back and finish this hike.
In retrospect, the lesson learned was of patience and flexibility. The benefit of this lesson, is that once I let go of having to get to the other lakes, I was allowed to be truly enveloped in the magnificence of this place. And for that moment, this presence was the greatest space to be in. One thing is for sure…I will be back.
