6 miles is a not insubstantial hike, especially when it involves a climb of 2,000 feet. Pertinent to mention is starting at an elevation of 4,500 feet. I only noticed one person huffing and puffing more than me and his excuse was carrying a smug toddler in one of those baby carrying contraptions on his back.
Kitted up in our hiking boots with fleeces and gloves, woolly hat at the ready, we were surprised to see many fellow hikers with just shorts and t shirts. I kid you not, I even saw someone wearing a skimpy vest top. Wondering whether they were truly hardcore or just foolhardy, we concluded this must just be a really good weather day for them. After all, there was a promised high of 55 degrees and the sun was almost visible through the streaky haze of clouds.
The views throughout propelled this walk into my Top Hikes list, with snow capped mountains reflected in the sometimes clear, sometimes shimmering lake. I particularly liked the way the trail meandered from one side of the ridge to the other, balancing out the views as we climbed higher, until we were treated with a breathtaking 360 degree view from the top of Frary Peak.
An added bonus on the hike was spotting bison. Far below on the grasslands were tiny flecks of brown, barely discernible from the rocks. In fact, there may have been a few false calls, it being difficult to prove one way or the other at that distance.
The combination of trail mix snacks and Werthers Original was inevitably not enough to stave off the talk of potential pizza later and the mile by mile countdown to the curry chicken wrap awaiting us back in the car. Nom nom.
