This hike was just a “get out in the woods and clear my head” kind of hike. The weather was beautiful, and I just needed a quiet day away.

The day started out by seeing how far up road 4550 I could go. I got a little past where I did the prior week, but not much past Music creek.

So, plan B was to hike the Memaloose trail and see if I could make it up to South Fork Mountain. The road to the trailhead was almost completely clear of snow, and the trail was completely snow free almost to the lake. The trail was mostly free of downed trees, except for a couple, including this BIG tree over the trail, which will be really hard to remove with crosscut saws:

After crouching under that big log, we continued up the trail and eventually crossed Memaloose Creek on the way up:

It was running pretty fast and high, but it was a beautiful sight. I’ve only been on this trail a few times, but I’ve never seen the creek so high. Continuing up the trail, soaking in the glory of all the old growth, we finally got to a Frozen Memaloose Lake:

We stopped for a bit at the first campsite and then I headed up the South Fork Mountain trail, not knowing if I would be able to find the trail and/or make it to the top. The trail quickly got buried in snow, however I was able to continue to follow the blazes, but after a short while, the snow got just too deep:

18-24″ in spots, and the postholing just was no fun. So, I turned around and went back to the lake. I found a nice spot to sit and just take in the sights and sounds of the woods, and sat there for over a half hour. It was really nice to just stop and enjoy where I was and really be in the moment. The experience soothed my spirit and calmed my mind. It was exactly what I needed to help endure recent events. Not a terribly long day, but just perfect.