On December 27th, 2010 it is decided that a group of friends and family will trek Castle Lake and brave the cold, ice and snow that will surely hinder progress.
We don our equipment consisting of show shoes, jackets, gloves, snow bibs, balaclavas and boots.
The walk to the lake is arduous. The cold mountain air stings our cheeks and ears chilling us to the bone.
All of this before we have even made it to our destination.
Finally we make our way to the lake. We pause and marvel at its splendor and beauty.
The Klamath Mountians are an awe-inspiring sight. Gazing at their magnificence is quite a humbling experience.
Castle Lake has an elevation of 5,574 ft. To give a comparison, Mount Shasta has an elevation of 14,179 feet.
The frozen lake is carved through with ski, snow mobile and snow shoe tracks.
The ridgeline is scattered with trees and strewn with granite boulders.
Ahead of us is the highest peak where three snowboarders take a crack at the virgin powder.
To the left a snowy mountain fog glides through a small valley toward us.
To the right a small group of rolling hills, caressed by evergreens catches our eyes.
We clear our snow shoes in preparation for our crossing. The snow is thick and fluffy. Powder like this is envied by all manner of snow enthusiasts.
As we press on we observe that the ice is thick with ten inches of snow atop its wintry coldness.
We pause again and stand dumbfounded at what nature has presented us.
Dave says, “This is the best place to come.”
Dave is right. The peacefulness we all felt on this day was intoxicating. The cold left our bodies and was filled with the coalescing warmth of pleasure and satisfaction.
The five of us crossed the lake and banked right on a return path to our vehicle.
We passed great snow dunes and a nearly-covered outbuilding which was climbed upon as if we conquered the mountain; a tribute to our success.
Our monumental seven-mile trek ends at the Jeep with fresh hot chocolate and a myriad of snacks.
We felt eviscerated as we left this omnipotent setting, one that we are all eager to return.
This humble Lake and mountainside are what we look to in our lives as both the Yin and Yang of our existence.
The mountain may be jagged and unyielding, but there is always a peaceful place in the heart of adversary.
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