A bad hip, bad knee, porkatosis and a recent return from 84 deg Hawaii, could not dissuade all Geezer Patrol members from lumbering out on a rain free day. Light grumbling ensued as the OAT dropped from 38 to 31 at the Upper Blanchard TH but our fervor to walk outdoors overcame all concerns.
The closed road gradient was very mild and at about 3/4 of a mile, the Alternate Incline Trail sign appears to your left. This trail, while steep in places, is very cushy, lightly travelled and inside a canopy of really tall 2nd or 3rd growth fir. There was a wee dusting of snow around and some open spots had a few inches but nothing that would stop the flip-flop/sneaker crowd.
At 2.25 miles in, the sign for Lizard Lake appears and 100 yards later you arrive at a very nicely frozen picnic/camp area where you can take all the blue overtone photos you wish in the "Arctic Light". Impaired as we were, we opted to travel back down to the truck for our luncheon, waiting for the heater to warm up in the interior.
Saw two trail runners and one other hiker for the trip. Nice, quiet and peaceful up there, possibly because the smart folks stayed indoors. A worthy, close venture for a easy walk in the woods should you need one.
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