A closed road forced us to regroup. We had planned on starting a lollipop from the AT where it crosses Blue Mountain Lakes Road in the DWG
area. We planned on heading NE on the AT from there, looping around Crater Lake, visiting Hemlock Pond, and then hiking back to the car. But Blue Mountain
Lakes Road was open only as far as the parking area for Blue Mountain Lakes. So, we parked there, and walked east along the closed part of the
road, picked up the AT where it crossed the road (where we intended on parking), hiked the AT and Crater Lake trail (orange-blazed) on the western side of the lake,
and then headed north on the orange-blazed Hemlock Pond trail to Hemlock Pond, returning to the car via a zig-zag of cross-country ski paths in Blue Mountain Lakes area.
I'm not sure how long it was but it took us a bit over 4 hours (not including lunch). (Click on the thumbnail to bring up a bigger image in a pop-up window)
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The road's closed! [Photo by Laura] |
Undeterred with our Yaktrax |
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Gate across road farther east |
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Deer tracks were all over |
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Snow on rock field |
Finally, the AT |
This is where we should have parked |
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AT registry |
Reading the entries |
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Long Pine Pond through trees |
Frozen pond on AT |
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Striking cracks |
Crater Lake trail looking east |
Frozen swamp |
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Western end of Crater Lake trail |
Back on the AT |
Clearing our lunch seats |
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Our lunch spot |
View west from AT |
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View of Crater Lake from western overlook |
Crater Lake [photo by Laura] |
Crater Lake |
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Crater Lake |
Near beginning of Hemlock Pond trail |
Hemlock Pond from trailhead |
On Hemlock Pond trail |
Hemlock Pond |
Crack in ice |
Hemlock! |
Hemlock Pond |
More hemlocks |
Another frozen swamp |
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[Photo by Laura] |
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Laura's trusty shoes and Yaktrax |
Blue Mountain Lake |
Blue Mountain Lake |
Blue Mountain Lake |
Beavers were here! |
Beaver lodge on lake |
Photographs and content copyright © Dan Balogh Web design by Dan Balogh |