Alright, so this one was completely unplanned, undecided and the best so far ! Mirror Lake boasts the reflection of Oregon's highest peak, Mt Hood. The trial is barely a 3 mile journey with a modest elevation of 780 feet. Not much,i thought. The highest point of the trail is at 4100 feet from where you can see Mt Hood and enjoy the serene waters of Mirror Lake.
But, since we came here in late April, everything was covered with snow. Pardon me, ice ! The trail was slippery and at times too narrow for comfort !
Armed with wooden sticks and a hesitant attitude we survived the first half a mile or so. But then the trail seemed to disappear ! We couldn't figure out a way to proceed until a fellow Taiwanese hiker pointed us to the right way. He was of course carrying a GPS, hiking poles, wearing cramp ons and a backpack filled with stuff for survival. And yes, we were as usual half as prepared.
The key to walking on such a surface was to follow the footsteps of previous hikers, avoid glossy surfaces and take one step at a time. Some paths were so narrow, walking a couple of feet took ages. The climb probably lasted an hour and we reached the Mirror Lake to find it completely frozen ! The view was comforting and nothing short of breathless !
Walking on the lake was a bit scary. It didnt seem like a designated trail. As we walked and created footprints, the bluish ice sent chills down the spine ! A photo session later we began the descend. It was tricky and we took some time at specific points.
The feeling upon reaching back was a mixed bag of satisfaction and hunger {for food!}.
But, since we came here in late April, everything was covered with snow. Pardon me, ice ! The trail was slippery and at times too narrow for comfort !
Armed with wooden sticks and a hesitant attitude we survived the first half a mile or so. But then the trail seemed to disappear ! We couldn't figure out a way to proceed until a fellow Taiwanese hiker pointed us to the right way. He was of course carrying a GPS, hiking poles, wearing cramp ons and a backpack filled with stuff for survival. And yes, we were as usual half as prepared.
The key to walking on such a surface was to follow the footsteps of previous hikers, avoid glossy surfaces and take one step at a time. Some paths were so narrow, walking a couple of feet took ages. The climb probably lasted an hour and we reached the Mirror Lake to find it completely frozen ! The view was comforting and nothing short of breathless !
Walking on the lake was a bit scary. It didnt seem like a designated trail. As we walked and created footprints, the bluish ice sent chills down the spine ! A photo session later we began the descend. It was tricky and we took some time at specific points.
The feeling upon reaching back was a mixed bag of satisfaction and hunger {for food!}.
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