Blue skies to Blue Mountain

By Gwendolyn Craig

Sunday could not have been more perfect for a winter hike.

My boyfriend Dave and I took a trip up to Blue Mountain Lake to climb up to the fire tower. We had done this hike in the summer, and it had been a tough one for me. The steep ascent for the last mile or so is a real thigh burner. It was no different in the winter, of course, but our rests on the way up had some of the most beautiful views we saw on the hike.

The tall evergreens draped in white against the backdrop of a Grecian blue (or Blue Mountain Lake blue) sky was perhaps one of the most beautiful scenes I have come across. There were only a few people at the top. The views from the fire tower were out of this world, too.

While the last mile up took us a solid 35 to 40 minutes (I’m telling you, this is a very steep one), butt sliding was the best part about going back down. Some others on the trail actually had miniature sleds with them and were cruising down as if on a bobsled track. Others got creative with a tarp and road it like a magic carpet most of the way down.

There were a mix of snowshoes and spikes on the trail. Spikes were very helpful for the stairs up the fire tower.