Peek-a-Boo Lake — Thursday, Aug. 15, 2024

The 1 hour gravel road off the Mountain Loop Hwy in to the trailhead has some rough areas in the lower reaches but passable in our CRV. The trail is not much maintained, but easy to follow with some steep spots; moderate difficulty for us 72 & 74 year oldsters in fairly decent shape. There is a sweet melt dewdrop at the saddle/ridge line at 2 miles in-- and ripe blueberries and hucks abound. Skirt to the east on a short side trail around a now dry marsh area for great open views to the eastern mountains. Note, retrace your steps or you end up in the brush if you think you can cut across and pick up the trail --haha! The descent to the lake is mostly a loose rock scramble down an old runoff, and you get the first peek-a-boo view of said lake. Pretty lake, green and serene shoreline and quite cool breeze coming off the water. Saw one fish jump for a dragonfly, but otherwise no response to the various items cast from my fishing pole. Internet said lake stocked with rainbow trout but no luck. Just under a 6 hour RT trip for us, counting an hour at the lake messing around and picking a quart of huckleberries--ripe everywhere! No sign of bears on the hike, though there was a prodigious pile of bear scat midway up on the gravel road.