The next day, we were anxious to hike the many trails around the campsite but little legs had to be factored into any walk so we settled on the Lily Lake loop. From the map, it looked to be an easy mile around the shoreline. We drove to the trail head. This is a popular hike for those who like an easy walk rather than slogging up mountain trails. There were several families enjoying this Rocky Mountain experience.
Lily Lake is a 'catch and release' fishing site but the season begins July 1st so there were no fishermen on this day. The information posted at the trail head promised lovely wildflowers in the spring and it didn't disappoint. We saw columbines, lilies (of course), snapdragons, and many I could not identify.
The trail began by crossing a small bridge then it forked. Geoff immediately veered right, up a rocky trail that dove into the hills surrounding the lake. Glen's credo of always taking the high road must have sunk into Geoff's psyche at sometime. Sweeping views of the lake and surrounding mountains made the climb rewarding. Elijah and Miles scrambled over the rocks and seemed to enjoy the hike but that would not last. Hey, all kids are the same and soon the whining began. It reminded me of all the hikes we did when our kids were young.
We quickly descended the hills and wandered along the edge of the lake seeing ducks and a hummingbird. Several birding couples passed us so it must also offer a chance to spot local birdlife. By this time, though, the boys rebelled and were not happy with the heat or the walking so it was good the parking lot wasn't far. Just around the next bend, as Glen has often said in the past.
Napping was the plan for the afternoon so the boys laughed and giggled in the tent while Melissa and I chatted (they did sleep eventually). Glen and Geoff had not had enough walking so they did a hike to an abandoned mine. I told Glen to take pictures so I could see what it was like but it turned out to be very disappointing so no photos were taken.
We ended the day with bison burgers and all the fixings.
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