9/27/11
With the help of the rangers at the visitor center we planned our “attack.” The first morning we were on the road by 7am. Our destination was Mills Lake. What a beautiful hike through a picturesque forest! The hike included several crossings of a lovely stream and two waterfalls.
The best hikes are the ones where the “journey” is just as pretty as the destination. This hike fit that description.
Mills Lake was surrounded by high mountain walls (it was carved by glaciers) and the fall colors were abundant.
We were feeling pretty good after that hike so we decided to hike to another lake nearby called The Loch.
Immediately we were challenged by a seemingly unending uphill hike with switchback after switchback. We hiked just behind one couple who were probably our age and we joked about our stupidity to take on this particular mountain trail. But once we arrived we were glad that we made the trip. It was a lovely lake but, in all honesty, it was not as pretty as Mills Lake. Our hike that day totaled in at 7.4 miles–not bad for a (nearly) 60 and 70 year old.