We finally had a weekend free and were ready to take Cara for a hike. The weather forecast wasn't perfect, but with there was only a 20% chance of rain. Cara is a tough NW girl, and we were sure we would all have fun. Okay, and the lake was a little over a mile from the trailhead so we couldn't get too soaked.
The trail started out going up a logging road but soon ducked into forest. While overcast, it wasn't actively raining yet. C carried Cara up to the first lake, Cottonwood, where we met another family with children coming down from Mirror Lake. They had spent the night and applauded our venturing out with Cara. We surreptitiously took note of some of their kids gear, as we are planning ahead for backpacking
soon.
Cara was eager to walk the remaining half mile, so we slowly made our way upward, stopping to enjoy the numerous downed logs along the way, picking up sticks and generally exploring. Eventually we arrived at the scenic lake and found a pleasant spot to have some lunch. The gray mist had become intermittently more rain-like, but we didn't let that chase us away. After lunch Cara had to dip her feet in the water, despite the chill! We did our best to keep the rest of her dry.
On the way back we stopped to explore a snow patch near the lake, and Cara was clearly fascinated by the texture and coldness. We made her some snowballs to hold; she hasn't learned the throwing part yet! She found the slipperiness of the snow to be a little disconcerting. Then it was back down the trail, alternating walking and being carried. We did our best to keep her out of the various puddles and streams along the way, much to Cara's disappointment. The cool summers of the Pacific Northwest aren't always ideal for water play.
Cara fell asleep almost as soon as she was back in the car. A long day for her short legs! And C and J felt fortunate to have only had some light rain, since as we crossed Snoqualimie Pass it was pouring.
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