Mause Creek/Tangle Foot Lake Trail

 As usual, we started too late up the road to the hike. It turned out to be a little rougher and farther than anticipated. It's an old forestry road that hadn't been gravelled in years so we were basically driving on rock bed. Our Highlander Hybrid was not designed for this kind of driving so we're thinking we're going to need to buy a truck, heaven forbid. (A smaller truck like the Toyota Tacoma but truck nonetheless.)

The actual trail was fairly easy all the way up to the first tarns. We stopped part way at an old mine shaft that had been closed off with a sheet of plywood. Of course that had been removed so entering would be relatively simple. We figured it must go down a ways from air blowing up from the tunnel. Like most mines in the region, silver and gold had been the object of the miners dreams. Decomposing wood from the sluice gates could still be seen in ditch extending from the tunnel. 

From there, up to the tarns, the trail became quite steep. From there it flattens out to a pair of tarns. Here, we met an older couple (our age) returning on the way back who, from the evidence of their backpacks must have camped overnight. The gentleman was wearing a Tilley hat which took me back to the good old days. Ours had been stolen in Kathmandu, we think by a lesbian couple we'd shared a room with. (They shared a shower.) We asked the couple how the distance to Tangle Foot Lake and the gentleman thought it was about 3 kilometres which also required going over a ridge that he pointed to. 

It was 4:00 p.m and, being September 26, the sun would going down by 7:30. We didn't want to return just before dark because we would have to drive back down the road that had caused me to wince numerous times on the way up. So, we climbed part way up the ridge and took a few photos. The larches had all turned as had the ground foliage so the views were specular. Back at the tarns, we enjoyed a short break and a snack while Finian did his usual circuit of the shoreline. 

On the way down, we were passed by a group of Germans, two younger women and an older couple. The older lady in the group, told us that the larches were just as beautiful at the tarns we'd just passed as at Tangle Foot Lake. Nicola thought this was just the right thing to say. 

Further down, we passed two young couples on the way up which kind of surprised us as it was getting quite late. One of the girls was wearing calf height boots with heals which was also a surprise. They wondered how far it was to the tarns and I looked at my watch and said it was 30 to 40 minutes. One fo the guys said he didn't think they'd do it that fast because they weren't in the same kind of shape we were in. I laughed. His girlfriend assured us that we looked good. Phew. Later, Nicola said they smelled like they'd consumed a few brewskis. This would be supported by the can of Bud Light I picked up off the side of the trail further down. 

We were grateful that we weren't the last vehicle down the mountain in case our Highlander ran into trouble. I'm not sure how reliable their lovely old F-150 pickup would have been with its lovely pink radiator cover. Nevertheless, it was better than nothing. 

Those tiny blue dots are where we got to.