December 2020 Hikes

Our mild (somewhat - it has been cold, but when it's not windy and the sun is out, then it doesn't feel too bad) and dry start to December meant we could continue our walking/hiking/adventuring around the valley. Later we finally did get some snow, and we got out to enjoy the hikes in that format, too!

5 December 2020: Middlefork Valley View to Powerlines Loop

We walked along the new-to-us-this-spring trail from the Middlefork campground that gives excellent views of the valley to the west. This time we went further than we've ever gone before on this particular trail and ended up on the power line road that we hiked on last month. We went up the hill to the ridge where we turned around last time and came down the same way into the "back door" of the campground. Fun loop! And crazy that this is a December landscape!

Trying to get a family selfie, but didn't get either kid
in the pic. Ha!

There they are!

Resting on the dirt at the crossroads.

Nordic is back there yonder - not much snow over
there either!

Gregg saved the day at this point by telling terrible
joke after terrible joke to get us up the hill.

I just couldn't resist this snap of the blue blue sky 
and all those power lines.

Now for the downhill!

6 December 2020: Anderson Cove Beach and Middle Inlet Beach Walks

We parked outside the gate at the Anderson Cove Campground and wandered through till we reached the beach. The lake was still and beautiful and a little icy on the edges and the view looking North was a new one for us since we rarely spend any time on that side of the lake. After we had our fill of skipping rocks, we drove to the parking lot at middle inlet (not the state park, but the big free lot) and walked down to the "hollow tree". We also noticed that a big portion of the lake was frozen over here, so we braved walking out a few feet on the clear ice. Cal was the bravest and went out the furthest. We had fun skipping rocks and hearing the funny sounds it makes on the ice.

You can see the line where the ice ends and the open
water begins.

Gregg pounded a rock into the ice to make a hole so
 we could see how thick it was here - turns out it was
a few inches!

See brave Cal way out there?

27 December 2020: North Arm Overlook to Lake Loop

We set out on the North Arm Trail to hike to the overlook, one of our most-frequented destinations. But this time we slid down the snowy hill to the east of the bench and trekked across the "frozen tundra" of the lake bottom toward the trail that goes by the nesting poles to the lake. We turned right when we reached the trodden path and walked all the way past the old highway onto the ice (it's so low that we had to walk a lot further than past years to reach the ice). Then we headed back by way of the "straight to the lake" trail. Round trip it was probably nearly 3 miles of snow-hiking and the kids were pretty done by the end. Luckily we have Gregg who is full of Dad jokes to get our minds off our tired legs (and whiney kids) and keep us laughing.

I love hiking this one in the winter!

Cal requested a funny face pic and 3 out of 4 of us
automatically stick out our tongues?

Sliding down the hill! (Good thing we
were wearing snow pants - most of us,
anyway.)

I feel like this looks like some Antarctic exploration team.

A little snow-spelling for Cal.

And Sam.

This buoy is a little high and dry these days.

Cute snowman photo op at the trailhead.
We didn't make him, but I wanted to document
the teasel hands and bur eyes. Very clever!