The trail took us along the river for 3 or 4 miles. It was rocky close to the waters edge but on top of the bank it was easier going in the grass. The tree line came close to the river but looking ahead you could see above the trees and the mountains in the background. It made me feel small out in the larger than life outdoors.
The air was fresh but scented by the pine and evergreens that surrounded us. Shades of green, grey and brown mountains on the horizon, brown and grey rock along the river’s edge. The grass along the treeline padded our steps.
At the 3 or 4 mile point we turned right to follow the trail into a small valley. The grass was about calf deep and the trees were all around us at this point. I mused on how the first people up here had found their way. I could not have done it without a marked trail. An hour down this valley two parks officers on horseback approached us. They asked us where we were going and commented that a day trip all the way to Mystery Lake was a little extreme. After a short conversation, they rode off the way we had just come.
Finally, we could see the lake through the trees. We stopped by a bubbling spring to drink using out hands to cup the clear, cold water. At a clearing lakeside, we sat on some soft grass and took our shoes and socks off.
The lake was calm and clear. The forest, mountains and blue sky were reflected on the water. The lake got it’s name because for a long time no one could find where water drained from the lake. Eventually it was discovered that there was an underground channel that let water flow out of the lake.
We spent a few hours at the lake then I said we should head back. Daniel said he wished we could make camp and stay overnight. I said me too but we told everyone we’d be back that day and our co-workers might get worried if we didn’t show.
The trip back to Miette seemed shorter than the trip out. The water at the ford was just as cold though. We slipped into the kitchen to eat when we got back and I thanked Daniel for going with me on the hike.
The summer was sprinkled by outdoor adventures in the mountains. I enjoyed it and will always remember it. I don’t have contact with any of the people I worked with. They were from all over Canada. I remember their faces, if not all their names. And I remember my summer in the Rocky Mountains.
