Late Summer at Spud Lake
12” x 18
Watercolor
Late last summer we got up with the birds so we could beat the heat for a short hike to Spud Lake. It’s one of our favorites, though the road out to the trailhead is a riot of rocks that requires a high tolerance for bumps.
The trail starts at a scenic pond and winds its way gently upward through aspens, then pine and fir. Each time we hike to the lake, it’s a different experience. The aspens are a canopy of spring green and as the seasons turn, they send cotton balls of seeds into the air that settle in thick and fluffy white clumps on the forest floor. As we move toward fall, their leaves turn wildly brilliant gold with hints of orange, dramatically contrasting against the evergreens.
The views are spectacular as you rise through the forest. And if you’re lucky, you might see a resident of the beaver ponds that lie along the way. There’s one last hill to climb before you arrive at the lake, and suddenly you’re treated to a deep blue mirror of the sky, rocky ridges, and trees that ring the water. The surface is nearly always smooth as glass, occasionally rippled by a fish kissing the underside of the surface.
Spud is not a big lake, but it gets high marks for its beauty! Its official name is Potato Lake, after the large tater-like mountain that rises on the west side. But locals fondly call it by its nickname. It’s always worth the bumpy ride to hike to this jewel of a lake one more time.
