We loaded up again and were off to the top! The campground and day use area were closed, but we parked at the boat ramp on the lake and started the lake trail! We were almost alone with only a couple of fishermen, so I let Beast have his freedom! He loves this trail! He will run up and down and then jump right in the lake! Then do it all over again!
We took a leisurely hike around the lake, then sat down and had a picnic lunch back at the truck! The view overlooking the lake was beautiful! We try to come up here right before they close the road for the winter and right after they open it again for the Spring! It is so nice having the whole place to yourself! After a good lunch, we packed up and headed back down the mountain!
I decided to take a different road down and we had a truly amazing experience! I started smelling smoke a few minutes before I came to the first forest fire truck! The road wasn’t closed, but there was a sign that said visibility may be reduced! There was fire all the way down the road! I could see flames burning through the woods! I drove about 3 miles through a massive controlled burn! I have seen the before and after, but never the during! When I came to the last firefighter, I stopped for a minute to talk to them and then left the smoke and fire behind! It wasn’t the kind of scenery I am usually looking for, but it was amazing to see how the forest is managed to keep it healthy and to keep it available for people to use! They do an amazing job!
We hit the pavement again at about 3 in the afternoon! It was a great trip and Beast was snoozing with his head in my lap! We headed toward home, but we had some extra time so I decided to do a little more exploring at Carter’s Lake. More on that later.
