The hike to Mirror Lake itself was only about 2 miles, but we trekked a bit further so in total we hiked about 5 miles. We saw two other lakes and even got to walk in some snow that was still on parts of the trail. What I loved about this hike is that we got to do a little bit of everything: it wasn't super taxing physically but we enjoyed the changes in scenery, and I got to take a lot of pictures! I wish the weather had been a bit more sunny, but I was happy that it didn't rain so I really couldn't complain.
After a short rocky uphill, we reached the trail-head, and in no time we reached our first viewpoint, Cottonwood Lake. If you choose to do this hike in the summer months I recommend bug spray, as there were lots of mosquitoes buzzing around.
Rachel gets excited like a kid on Christmas Day when she sees snow, so she was very happy that there was still a fair amount on one part of the trail we hiked through. I had just received my new Leki trekking poles in time for this hike, and I felt very comfortable in the snow using them for added traction. The weather wasn't particularly hot, but it felt nice to have the cool snow crunching under our feet as we got closer to our destination.
Mirror Lake, how I missed you! The last time I had set foot on its shores, it was much earlier in the hiking season and there had been much more ice and snow. We didn't meet a ton of other hikers on the trail, but with the warmer weather we did run across a lot of campers and volunteers maintaining the trail. There was a group of guys and a pup camping right by the lake, so we enjoyed the sights, took some pictures, and ventured a bit further down the trail to stop and have lunch.
We reached an area that seemed nice to stop and snack, and I explored the surroundings to check out the view and take pictures. There was a pretty waterfall and lots of my beloved bear-grass and other flora to catch my eye and camera lens.
I could have stayed here all day, mesmerized by the flowing water. If I was big on meditating, this would totally be my spot. There were other sights to see however, so we moved on further. We hiked to the last lake of our journey, Twilight Lake. It was in the middle of a swampy, boggy meadow, and it felt like our own little private patch of forest.
One of our fellow hikers brought her pup, and it was a blast watching her swim around in the lake, run out onto the grass, and flop on her back and wriggle around. Rachel managed to get a group shot of us with Ollie (or Olly?) racing right through the picture. Way to photo-bomb like a pro!
After a short stay at Twilight Lake, we decided that this would be a good turn around point, so back up we went. Back past the falls, back for one more glance at lovely Mirror Lake, and back once again on the snowy path.
It was great to revisit a place you'd once been and be reminded of how much you had enjoyed yourself while creating new memories. Like an old friend, Mirror Lake welcomed me back to its shores, and I left with the promise to return again soon.
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