For more on Lake Angeles and Heather Park, see our Lake Angeles web page.
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12/10/16 - Lake Angeles Trail in the Snow

We took advantage of the early snow to check out our snowshoes on the Lake Angeles Trail. We only climbed about 500' or so, but others had made it to the lake. They just wore hiking shoes. No snowshoes for them. It may be a while before we make it back up to the lake again, but as far as we are concerned, the trail is a winter wonderland.

Snow and forest

Winter forest

More winter forest

Another bit of winter

Salal

Winter wonderland

More magical winter forest

Keywords: lake angeles, winter

11/17/16 - Lake Angeles, At Last

It was probably the spaghetti and meatball dinner. We were seriously carb loaded, so we made it all the way up the Lake Angeles Trail to the lake. The trail was as beautiful as ever, and it was great to get back to some of the alpine outcrops as we neared the lake. Then we saw the first snow. There was a bit here and there on branches. Then there was a thin layer underfoot as we headed up the "chute" to the lake.

The lake itself, nestled in its bowl of mountains, was stunning. Snow has already been accumulating up at four thousand feet. The temperature at the parking lot had been 37F, but it was only 34F higher up. We crunched around on the snow for a bit and enjoyed the views of the crags and snow covered trees on the slopes. It was cold, so we only stayed for a while. Then we walked down, slowly descending as the temperature rose. By the time we neared the car, the temperature was decidedly balmy.

It was an amazing hike, and we owe it all to spaghetti and meatballs.

An icy scene

The lake and mountains

Mushrooms and frost

Across the lake, the little island

More frost

Green trees

Another view of the lake and mountains

Snow on the ground

Green mosses in the high country

The trail

Seen en route

Keywords: lake angeles

12/01/15 - Lake Angeles Snow

There's already snow on the ground along the Lake Angeles trail. It's a Christmas wonderland.

This looks Christmas-y.

Are those Yule logs?

That's the little bridge.

Maybe it's time to start shopping for a tree.

White snow, black stream

Keywords: christmas, lake angeles

06/25/15 - Lake Angeles

Somehow or another we managed to get up to Lake Angeles. It involved a two thousand three hundred and ninety foot climb along a lovely wooded trail we often think of as a cathedral with the long bare trees of the forest understory resembling pillars. The lake was as beautiful as ever. The water was clear and the high cliffs were devoid of snow. It was a hard, wonderful climb. There really isn't all that much more to say.

The mountains across the lake

Driftwood

Someone made a raft.

Columbine

Pillars of the cathedral

Trilliums, some over a foot across

Mysterious plants we think of as Indian pipes

More mystery

Mystery in white - Wilkie Collins?

This was a great year for these.

Happy faces on the bridge

Keywords: lake angeles, trillium

04/14/15 - Spring on the Lake Angeles Trail

The Lake Angeles Trail starts at about 1900' above sea level and it climbs and it climbs. We haven't made it up to the lake yet, but we are getting back into shape. There are no trilliums yet, but the early spring flowers, and a few mushrooms, are coming out in the lower reaches.

A sunny day on the trail

Little mushrooms

A violet orchid

A little yellow violet

A large mushroom emerging

Keywords: lake angeles, spring

03/03/15 - A Dusting of Snow

We haven't had a lot of snow this year, so it was nice to see a little dusting on the Lake Angeles Trail.

A dusting of snow

More dusting

More snow

A thinner dusting

The forest

Keywords: lake angeles

02/10/15 - A Very Wet Lake Angeles Trail

We haven't had much snow this winter, but we've had lots of rain. We walked a little ways up the Lake Angeles Trail, to the little bridge, and we haven't seen the trail so wet and so much water flowing in at least ten years. Since we're still playing with slow motion video, here is some running water for your viewing enjoyment:

There was lots of white water.

There were also a lot of green things growing.

White water near the little bridge

An underground stream - bubbling visibly near the boardwalk

Downstream from the little bridge

The wet trail

A curtain of drips

More drips

Funghi

Keywords: lake angeles, winter

08/27/14 - Lake Angeles Trail - Notes and Berries

We've been climbing the Lake Angeles Trail a bit lately, partly to get into shape and partly to avoid the brilliant summer sun. We noticed a memorial stone placed near the trail for Barry Koehler, the pilot who died here when his plane crashed. The two survivors of the crash are now running Harbinger Winery and Adventures Through Kayaking these days. It's been ten years now, but clearly he has not been forgotten.

On a cheerier note, we also noticed a lot of berries. It is late summer now, and all sorts of berries are ripening. So the forest is accented with reds and oranges and brilliant blues. Some we recognize, while for others we'll just share our curiosity. We haven't made it up to the lake yet, but we'll keep trying.

There is a memorial for Barry Koehler a bit off the trail.

The cathedral of the woods

Pacific dogwood

More pacific dogwood

We're not sure of these

Knick knack

More of those blue berries

Huckleberries

We're not sure of these either

Mahonia berries ripening

Salal berries

Keywords: harbinger winery, lake angeles

12/09/13 - Winter on the Lake Angeles Trail

Needless to say, we didn't get all the way up to the lake. We were tight on time, and we were not in the best shape. Still, we managed to make our way through the winter woods to the stream crossing, about 700' above the parking lot. It was cold, and the trail had a thin coat of snow on it, but it was not slippery. It was also beautiful.

The bridge over the stream

Snow on logs

Snow on the boardwalk

Snow on the trail

A very Christmassy scene

Snow on salal and Oregon grape and probably other plants

Snow on the rocks

Less snow as we descended

Ice on the water

Keywords: winter, lake angeles

08/31/13 - Lake Angeles Trail

We've been having some changeable weather lately with rain and wet and then sunny and dry. The Lake Angeles Trail takes one through a variety of climes. Here's a photo of a gateway into the sun and mist of our local forest.

Gateway

Keywords: lake angeles, weather

07/28/13 - Lake Angeles

We made it up to Lake Angeles again. This time the weather was clear and bright. In fact, it was almost too bright, which is why we chose to take the shady trail up to the lake.

A slightly glary view to the south

Another view

Our favorite island

Logs in the water

A root

A flower

Starbursts

A mysterious pipe

A mysterious mold

Keywords: lake angeles, trails

06/11/13 - Lake Angeles

We recently made it up the trail to Lake Angeles. That's a 2400' climb, and this may be our earliest ascent. A few weeks ago, there were still reports of snow and ice on the trail and around the lake. One hiker, who had turned around a bit shy of the lake, explained his decision saying that it was too early in the season for an injury. But, more recently, hikers we have spoken with were reporting a clear trail.

We started our climb with no particular hope of making it to the lake. In fact, we didn't even bother taking a water bottle, but at some point, we started to feel the pull of the lake. This often happens to us. Sometimes it will be a beam of sunlight cutting through to the forest floor. One time it was the start of a light snow. This time it was just the raw pull of the lake.

It was cloudy, so we couldn't see the walls of mountain surrounding the lake, but that made it all the more mysterious. We could see the little island and maybe some distant snow through the mist. It was a spectacular feeling, and all the trilliums in bloom only added to it. We may not make it back up to Lake Angeles for a while, but this climb made a great start to the season.

The island

Mists

You might be seeing a bit of distant snow.

Trilliums

Did we mention Pacific dogwood?

Keywords: lake angeles, trillium

05/19/13 - Trillium Change

We've been hiking the Lake Angeles Trail out of Heart of the Hills for over a decade now, and we have never seen so many trilliums in bloom. There were always a few, but each year there seem to be more and more of them. Even in places where we have never seen them before, such as along the drier stretch above the crossing bridge, there seem to be a lot of them. In places, like the Trillium Vale, where there were always a fair number, there seem to be more of them. Are they new colonizers? Has some condiiton changed? They like water. Could the area be, somehow, getting wetter?

The trail

Some trilliums from above the crossing

The stream in late spring flow

The Trillium Vale, or so we call it

A young trillium

More trilliums, some still emerging

Even more

The trilliums aren't the only things blooming. The Oregon grape is coming out as well.

More flowers

Keywords: lake angeles, trillium

04/26/13 - Lake Angeles Trail Update

We climbed the Lake Angeles trail for about an hour. That took us up about 1350' above the parking lot. We saw our first bit of snow, but it was at least another 1000' of climbing to Lake Angeles. We met a hiker coming down from the lake. She was a far hardier sort than we. She says there are still about three feet of snow at the campground, which means we won't be making it all the way up for some time.

We did see some amazing light. It was a sunny day, and a lot of sunlight made it through the canopy. We also saw a lot of running water at the wood bridge crossing, and as a special treat, our very first trillium on the trail not far from the entrance.

The trail in bright sunlight

A last bit of snow on the ground

A bit more snow

Snow on the low undergrowth

The trail again

As seen from the trail in bright sunlight

The stream

More undergrowth, mahonia

Even more

The trail, lusher as one descends

The first, and only as far as we could tell, trillium

Keywords: lake angeles, trillium, spring

01/10/13 - White Snow, Black Water

We hiked up the Lake Angeles trail to the little bridge. Most of the path was pretty easy going, but after the Big Rock, about 500 feet above the parking lot, there was snow and ice on the path. We put on our Yak Tracks and continued. Every little streamlet crossing the trail was a torrent, and there was water running down the trail itself which made for sloggy going. We pressed on and were well rewarded.

We didn't cross the bridge.

Snow covered trees

More winter contrast

Water on the trail

The curtain of drips, in full drip

White water, this time

More wild water

Keywords: lake angeles, winter

10/25/12 - Lake Angeles Trail Snow

We scoffed at the recently appointed Christmas aisle at our local Rite Aid. They had barely set up for Halloween when the fake little trees, bright red stockings and glistening ornaments started to appear. Then we hiked a bit of the Lake Angeles Trail, and even before the foot bridge we started to feel some Christmas cheer. We really should have waited. We haven't even done Halloween yet, but it was hard to avoid unseasonal thoughts while admiring the light sprinkling of wet snow.

The bridge - We wimped out here. Next time, Yak Trax.

Snow and more snow - Yes, we're exaggerating.

A Christmas mushroom?

More mushrooms in the snow

The boardwalk - This area Christmasses up quickly.

Keywords: christmas, halloween, lake angeles

08/24/12 - Signs of Summer's End

It isn't just the back to school sales. There are other signs that summer is drawing to a close, among them the profusion of red berries amid the late summer green foliage. Here are some examples from a recent walk on the Lake Angeles Trail.





Keywords: lake angeles, summer

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