Shadow Lake – June 2024

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Muleys!

 

Julie, aka the Lady and the little thoroughbred, started early in the week. “It’s going to get hot before the fourth and stay hot. We better go for hike this next weekend when it’s still cooler. I want to go for another hike. Last Saturday was a good hike. Let’s do another!”

 

“Let’s see how this week goes,” I countered. “Let’s get the truck back from the shop and make sure all is well with it. Then another hike will be great.”

 

We picked up the truck Monday afternoon and everything was in order.

 

“Where are we hiking Saturday?” the Lady immediately asked. “I’m hiking with Donna on Wednesday. We can go for a long hike on Saturday.”

I offered an idea. “Let’s go to Shadow Lake and take the fly rod along. Do you remember the Fourth of July we backpacked into Highland Lake and decided to do the climb over the east ridge of Tells Peak, drop down to Shadow Lake, and hike the trail back to the truck? I remember walking along Shadow Lake and watching rainbow trout come a foot out of the water to grab damsel flies in the air. Let’s see if rainbows are still there.”

 

“I remember that,” the Lady quickly replied. “I also remember that was well over thirty years ago.”

 

I quickly meshed memories with math in my head and came to the same conclusion. “Wow,” I muttered.

 

We’ve been to Shadow Lake many many times. But like Fourth of July Lake on last weekend’s hike, most of our visits were made on skis.

 

 

 

 

 

The approach to Shadow Lake is enjoyable as the trail moves between timber and large open areas. It has been decades since cows grazed up here. The open spaces are lush with vegetation and wildlife thrives.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We entered a vast expanse of Mule Ears and I witnessed a “Sound of Music” moment from the Lady. Her arms went up and she cried, “Smell the muleys! I love the smell of muleys!”

 

 

 

 

There were acres upon acres of mule ears in bloom. Note: also notice the Lady wears the same blue capilene top when she goes to Shadow Lake.

 

 

 

 

 

We found an open high spot with rocks, sat, and took a break and darn near overloaded the senses.

 

 

 

 

 

The trail climbs a long ridge line in thick mature red fir. It then tops out at an open saddle in the north ridge of Tells Peak.

 

 

 

 

 

It drops to a depression that holds snow melt. Not quite “Sound of Music” here, but the Lady exclaimed, “The mookie pond is full!”

 

 

 

 

 

In a half mile the trail drops a few hundred feet in elevation to the small basin that holds Shadow Lake.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The blue damsel flies were still here.

 

 

 

 

 

The rainbow trout were not. We circled the lake. I drifted a nymph pattern under a strike indicator. The Lady – the trout spotter – stayed high and scanned the depths. I fished for around an hour. Neither of us saw any trout activity. There is no suitable spawning habitat here and this lake was, at one time, stocked as “put and grow” water. I suspect trout are no longer dropped by plane into Shadow.

 

Oh well, the fly rod got a wonderful 11-mile round trip hike and Shadow Lake is a pretty spot to visit. We spent around two hours at the lake - the only people here on this Saturday.

 

 

 

 

It was a very productive day though. Our friends, Ma and Barking Spider, stopped by today – Sunday – around noon. Our little buddy, Rich, receives our InReach messages. He wanted our report. I reported, “On the Highland Trail four trees are down between the SNOTEL Station and the Shadow Lake Trail intersection. All are between 16 and 18 inches in diameter with all easy cuts. There are eleven trees down on the Shadow Lake Trail from the intersection to the lake. Most are small with five or six 16 to 18 inches. Nothing is over 20 inches. It will take a day to do all the work but it will be an easy day.”

 

His volunteer mule group will be up doing trail work this week and on Thursday, the Fourth of July, the trail to Shadow Lake will be cleared with down trees across the trail cut out. Muleys!

 

We, once again and as always, appreciate how lucky we are to live in this spectacular place and to have so many wonderful friends.