The hiking group on a large boulder near Lake Pinchot
We spent the night at Gifford Pinchot State Park with some friends. Since Kimia was with us, we had a bit of rain, but since she helped plan the trip, it’s not like it was unexpected. Some got fairly wet but Cathy and I were dry enough. After breakfast we decided to take what turned out to be an 8.5 mile hike around Lake Pinchot. Here’s what the park web site has to say about the trail:
Lakeside Trail: 8.5 miles, most difficult hiking
This is the longest and most scenic trail in the park. It may be accessed from all major use areas of the park. Walking time is five to six hours. Many parts of the trail are easy walking with gravel surfaces, but some of the remote sections are narrow with uneven footing and wet in other places. Many hikers combine portions of this trail with other trails like Alpine, Gravel, Oak and Quaker Race to make shorter loops.
We had thought it was only about 6 miles, so that extra 2.5 was not particularly welcome. Still, it was a pretty hike and except for the bit where we got off onto a fisherman’s track instead of the main trail, it wasn’t particularly difficult walking. There were some ups and downs but nothing very steep or long. After about 6 miles, when we were starting to get a tired, we got to the Quaker Race Day Use Area, which is across the lake from the campground. We had been around the long end of the lake and had the near end left to go. We bought cold treats and rested a bit. My legs were a bit tired but the real problem was that my back was bothering me quite a bit. I decided, discretion being the better part of valour, that I would wait there and have someone come back and pick me up. Thanks for having pity on an old man, Nancy.
