On this chilly but mostly sunny day, Alison led nine of us on an in and out hike along the shoreline peninsula of Applegate Lake on the French Gulch Trail and Payette Trail. Socorro took up the sweep. The lake was substantially drawn down, but lovely just the same.
The journey was in shade, but a sunny area presented for lunch. Young wildflowers were making their appearance, including shooting stars, milkmaids, western rattlesnake plantain, Nuttall’s toothwort, Shelton’s violet, hounds’ tongue, and Oregon grape. The lake was quiet, but for a couple of individual fishermen on sit-on-top kayaks. Crows enjoyed a conversation we couldn’t translate but sounded friendly. Elisabeth’s injured Achilles tendon from our last snowshoe hike needed a light hike, so she stopped early to meditate on an outcrop near lake edge. There she found a large shelter/’fort’ built of driftwood. She’s hiked just 2¾ mile RT. Alison took the group onward for a 4¾ RT hike, meeting up with the lame one near hike end.
Elevation gains 150-200’. On the way home, some stopped to see the 1917 Covered Bridge.
Elisabeth
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Applegate Lake
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Group Picture-7 of 9 of us
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Group
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Hound's Tooth
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Milkmaids
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Nuttall’s toothwort
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Oregon Grape
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Shelter on shore, Applegate Lake
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Shelton’s violet
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Shooting Stars
