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Bucket List Fulfilled I live forty-five minutes from several mountain hikes, and for years my friends have annually been making this hike happen. Unfortunately, I have never been available to make this hike happen. I was either working, on vacation, or had prior arrangements that I couldn't cancel. I would hear stories about how beautiful and amazing this place was. They would talk about the freezing temperatures of the lake. So, on the bucket list it went. This hike that I would love to tackle and experience.
Finally, one summer, my schedule opened up, and I got to hike. It was worth every step, every sore muscle, and mild exhaustion on the way down. Taking our youth group only made the trip that much more amazing.
The Hike The beginning of the hike is like most mountain hikes. There are beautiful fields of wild flowers and plants, great groves of trees, and surprising sights of man-made items being overtaken by the woods. Then the ascent really begins. You have a huge set of switch-backs. Due to being overweight, it required several breaks. Luckily, I had some older leaders that I could hang with while the younger and
more fit people went on ahead. Throughout the switchbacks, you meet several other hikers and bikers. It is quite the social place.
Then you get to the fork with a small open field of flowers; you can go right or left. Choose left! That will take you to Ice Lake. Right will take you to Island lake, but there is a better way to get there.
The left will take you through one more mild set of hiking till you get to one of the most beautiful sights. As you hike just above timber line, the place where trees can no longer grow, you enter a big beautiful open field of flowers, mountains, streams, and unique white rocks. This makes every step of those climbing switch-backs worth it. It is amazingly breathtaking to see how green and beautiful this field is. It worth taking time to eat lunch here and bask in the beauty set before you.
Once you have traversed this field, eaten your lunch, and taken in the sights, it’s time for the hardest leg of the hike. It doesn't last as long as the switch-backs, but it is a very vertical hike and was
hard for this overweight guy. Again, getting through this last leg is completely worth the climb. It’s perfectly fine to take breaks throughout this process, and don't forget to turn around. The views only get better as you climb.
Then you reach the top.
Ice Lake I have never seen a better view of blues and greens in my life. This is the most magical color scheme, and pictures just don't do it justice. The lake is a natural formation made from the years melting snow and is one of the purest colors ever. Due to its extremely cold temperature, it doesn't have the muddying of its waters like most lakes. This causes it to capture the sky's blue in a magical way.
The lake is surrounded by green grass fields and sometimes still has small patches of snow. It is truly a wondrous site.
You will want to bring a change of clothes. You already took your whole day to climb up her, you might as well jump in. Swimming is not really advised; the lake gets its name for a reason. There is a nice rock to jump off and be ready to
swim right back to shore. As soon as you hit the water, your breath is instantly gone, and you feel numbness start to settle in. Although that sounds miserable, it is an experience you wouldn't want to miss out on, especially if you are with friends.
Once you get dried off and into some dry clothes, it is an amazing place to just relax for a while. Depending on how adventurous you feel, you may decide to go to Island Lake as well. If not, feel free to start the trek back down.
Bonus Hike: Island Lake Island Lake has nothing on the colors you see at Ice Lake, but it is a naturally formed island in the mountains. It is surrounded by greenish waters that lead up to this little isle. It only takes a small hike, a little higher, from Ice Lake. If you have more left in you, it is completely worth the extra climb.
Be Prepared Ice Lake is a hard trek. It will take an inexperienced to average hiker all day. Leave early in the morning, plan for frequent stops and rest, and don't forget your camera. The best time
to go is late July. You will want to pack lightly, but you will want a change of clothes and a light jacket. Even in July, you can get mild rain while on this hike.
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