Sunday, September 26th, 2010 | Posted by | Comments (0)
On a grey, dreary Friday, I headed up the Tunnel Creek trail to Hope Lake, and from there headed north along the Pacific Crest Trail. About half a mile out I found a spur trail heading off to the right through the heather, and followed it in search of a good camp site. Not far along I found a beautiful set of lakes, surrounded by colorful heather, the huckleberry plants a vibrant red colors.
I walked around the lake until I found a camp site with a view over the lake, and set up my tent there. After eating dinner, I pulled out my 4×5 and set up a couple of photographs of the lake, with the colors on the shore and the grasses in the foreground. The sky remained grey as the sun set, but not long after I wrapped myself up in my quilt, the moon rose and lit up the side of the tent like a flashlight.
I awoke to the sound of ptarmigans chattering nearby, an azure sky, clouds ablaze with morning color. It was therapeutic to have a night in the wilderness, amidst the blazing fall color.
It was a short trip, but the solitude and beauty were therapeutic. It was a much-needed escape from the frustration and stress of every day life.
The Peace Project launches tomorrow. If you’re not able to attend one of the showing, you can browse and purchase the selected artworks here
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There is a donation link as well, in case you would like to donate but can’t afford the price for the art.
Last weekend I joined a group on an overnight backpacking trip to Blanca Lake. Since I wrote about it on my previous trip here, I’ll keep this post a little bit briefer.
This time around, when we reached the lake, it was pretty crowded. The choice camping spots above the lake were already occupied, so we continued onward, and crossed the small outlet stream. The camp site there was secluded and peaceful, so we hunkered down there for the night.
The lake fogged over as the sun set, so we couldn’t see many stars. It was still cloudy in the morning, so while the sun rose I watched the light play over the clouds through small gaps here and there. I also watched as the mist flowed up from the valley and poured into the lake, lowering the fog almost to the lake’s surface.
During a period of calm, I caught this smooth reflection of the driftwood on the lake. Although it wasn’t the sort of shot I had in mind when I got out of bed, I liked the feeling of the distant ridge barely emerging from the clouds above the lake.
