BY LESLIE REGO
The sounds of the creek accompanied me for much of my hike to Miner Lake. I forded the creek several times, skipping over stones or balancing on logs. Autumn was my constant companion throughout the journey. The willows clinging to the shores of the stream were beginning their transition to gold. Leaves alongside the trail were yellow, red or ochre. The sun filtering through the deep forests lit up the bright colors.
I passed through old forests filled with huge pines, a combination of lodgepole and Douglas fir. The trees had dramatic shapes. At one time I came to a lodgepole whose upper branches curved in just such a way that the tree seemed to embrace a mountain. Other lodgepole pines twisted their way toward the sky, the branches swirling around the trunks in a spiral, showing off the long, graceful drape of the needles. There were crevasses that coursed through the bark on the trunks of the Douglas fir. The thick branches stretched over the trail, creating drama. Hundreds of smaller branches crisscrossed in the air, assembling intriguing geometric shapes. Years of mysteries were buried deep within these old souls residing in the forest.
The journey led me to several enclaves where the creek’s humidity created an oasis. They were areas replete with small waterfalls and pools of quiet water. Moss grew thick on the stones and trees, the sponginess of the moss muting the sounds of the water. The trunks were enormous, with giants for roots. The earth clung to these tuberous growths, forming ledges that extended over the water. I sat by one of these colossal roots to paint.
Coming out of the woods, I arrived at an open meadow. There were views in all directions and each one was magnificent. The sun hit the grass and turned it into gilded amber. The grass was so tall it came to my mid thigh. Massive boulders lay strewn over the ground. In the center of the meadow flourished one substantial tree. The branches reached toward the sky, reveling in all of the solo attention from the sun.
The trail to Miner Lake could well be the destination. Nature has bestowed her best along the way. It is a journey full of intimate dells and big drama, awash with glinting sun and musical notes.
Leslie Rego is an Idaho Press Club award-winning columnist, artist and Blaine County resident. To view more of Rego’s art, visit leslierego.com.