BY LESLIE REGO
I began my adventure going to Miner Lake, thinking I would hike to the lake and back, but the day was so beautiful I decided to continue on to Prairie Lake and complete the loop. The climb is steeper going to Miner Lake and so if you do intend to do the loop it is best to begin with visiting Prairie Lake first.
Miner Lake is a classic alpine lake with a dramatic backdrop of granite cliffs. I caught glimpses of the lake as I traveled through the last bit of forest. The water was an emerald green broken only by the reflection of the cliffs and the brilliant blue sky. The reflection of the many pines surrounding the lake was almost the same color green as the actual water in the lake. The water is clear. I could see remnants of logs creating brown stripes within the pellucid world.
The day was still young and the air was vibrant, so I decided to forge on to Prairie Lake. I traversed a steep ridge, which divides the drainages of Prairie Creek and Miner Canyon. The trail drops quite a bit in elevation. There were spectacular views along the way. Eventually, I came to my favorite lake of the day, a small lake surrounded by golden grass. Some of the tops had already turned an ocher red with the advent of cold weather. The grass came up to my thigh and caught the breeze, which waved the fronds back and forth. The grass encroached right up to the edge of the water and the gentle sway of the blades created tiny ripples within the water. The entire area around this small lake was aflame with this flaxen grass.
The third lake of the day was Prairie Lake, another beautiful alpine lake surrounded by pines and showcasing deep green water. I walked along the shore until I found a spot underneath a pine and took out my lunch. Soon I began to paint, savoring the view and reveling in the good fortune of having seen three amazing lakes in one day.
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.