July Trek; Day Two; Tubal Cain to Buckhorn Lake

July 2, 2016


Morning dawns early in the forest. The birds serenade the sun as it rises, the trees filtering it rays through to life teeming on the forest floor. The abundant flora opens and turns to face the sun and the new day it brings. I lay in my tent, half-asleep and warmly snuggled into my sleeping bag, listening to the forest come alive. The day ahead of was a short-mileage day, so there was no need for us to crawl out of our tents early. Additionally, Holly had been unable to join us the day before, so we knew we wouldn't be leaving camp until she arrived. Slowly, one by one, we climbed out of our tents, stretched and began going about the tasks of preparing breakfast and breaking camp. With the impeccable timing I have come to know Holly for over the years, she walked up just as we were cramming the last few items into our packs - precisely on time. To give Holly a break, since she had just hiked 3.7 miles, we quickly searched out the main entrance to the mine, which is difficult to locate due to the myriad of foot trails in the area - all made by others in pursuit of the same destination. Not wanting to delay the day's trek any further, we abandoned the mine and hit the trail.



Evie amidst the wildflowers

Buckhorn Lake is roughly 2.5 miles from Tubal Cain. The trail starts out at Gold Creek and carries you out of the forest, climbing 800 feet in elevation in short order to a ridge face bursting with wildflowers. Here the trail levels out a bit, climbing more moderately but steadily, traversing the face of the ridge. We hiked waist deep through Cow Parsnip, Lupine, Paintbrush, Larkspur and Tiger Lilies. Butterflies fluttered from flower to flower as though dining in a wildflower buffet. At one point we looked across the valley and could just make out the well hidden entrance to the Tubal Cain mine. High atop the ridge a small group of deer watched us with little interest. All the while, an impressive Mount Buckhorn drew ever closer. I felt as though we were hiking in the Austrian Alps rather than our own back yard.



Evie & Holly, with Mount Buckhorn in the distance



After two miles we reached the junction with the spur trail to Buckhorn Lake. Here the trail rapidly dropped us a rugged 100 feet down to the lake's shore. One half mile later, after following a primitive trail through the trees, we arrived at the location of our second camp.

Buckhorn Lake is a small lake, almost jade in color, that is so clear we were able to watch the rainbow trout go about their business. They lazily swam about, weaving in and out of the shadows, mesmerizing us with the hypnotic rhythm of their movement. The lake is surrounded by dense forest and sits below Iron and Buckhorn Mountains, reflecting their images in its mirror-like surface. It was the perfect setting for our camp, peaceful and quiet, with a nearby stream for fresh water. We pitched our tents for the night and heated water for our meals, then Holly built a small fire around which we sat for warmth. We sipped the last of our wine while watching the setting sun light Mount Buckhorn in the warming and magical tones of evening. Nothing on television can ever compare to an evening in the back-country. After ensuring our fire was sufficiently out, we hung our bear bag on a limb over the stream then climbed into our tents for a well-deserved night's rest, serenaded to sleep by the birds, cicadas and nearby stream.



Buckhorn reflections - Photo by HIWalker Photo



Hike 33 of 52
Distance: 2.5 miles
Elevation Gain: 800'

Highest Elevation Achieved: 5200'