Winter in the PNW this year has been disappointing if, like me, you enjoy snow. I love it. There is nothing better than snowshoeing down a trail. All sounds are muffled by a blanket of snow and you are truly at one with yourself. It is out on these trips that I find peace and realign my chi. While the rest of the country is being blasted and buried under record snowfalls, there is simply no snow in our part of the country. None. The mountains are so bare they look naked. The positive side to this unusual winter weather pattern is that more trails are available for early-season hiking that are normally inaccessible or open only to those on snowshoes or skis. The trail to Talapus and Olallie lakes is one such trail.
My sister, Heidi, and hiker buddies Jeanne and Holly joined me for a morning hike to these two neighboring lakes in the Alpine Wilderness backcountry area. Oh, and what a beautiful morning it was. The low-laying cloud cover dissipated as we neared the trailhead and we were blessed with clear blue skies for our hike. The trail itself was wet in places, but we survived the Bridal Veil Falls trail, so we can handle just about anything now. As a professional photographer, Heidi is always drawn to sights that others usually pass right on by, so I hung back with her, watching in amazement as she framed in shot after shot. The elevation gain was steady with only a few switchbacks thrown in to temper the steeper portions. When we reached Talapus lake at 1.75 miles in, I was surprised we were there already.
Just another 1.5 miles of steady climb up the trail, Olallie Lake awaited us. As we climbed, we started see a little light snow dusting on the side of the trail - the only hint that we were above 3500 feet in elevation. With the climb in elevation there also came a drop in temperature, we had all layered, but were still feeling the chill in the air as we hiked. Olallie Lake was fully covered in snow, in the shadow of snow-dusted Banderos Peak and truly beautiful.
We had lunch there at Olallie then headed back down. Again, my speed on the descent had me well behind my partners. I felt as though my downhill speed was picking up, but I was still lagging. Heidi hung back with me and I discussed my concerns with her, especially about my knees and hips as both were bothering me a bit. She hikes and backpacks far more than I, so had encouraging words and some conditioning suggestions. I have begun some yoga strengthening exercises in the evenings that will hopefully help. Time and persistence will be key in ensuring I come off Mt St Helens feeling accomplished, not whipped.
As of this writing, my left hip flexor is still bothering me and I am looking into some therapeutic massage.
Total miles hiked: 6.2
Elevation gain: 1220 ft
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