Really nice solo hike to Mason Lake today. I hit the trail at 6:45 and saw no one all the way up. The trail is in great shape until you get near Mason Lake when there is some mud and still a lot of snow.
The snow was easy to navigate when I got there but I suspect as the day goes on and it warms up you might start sinking into it.
Some company along the trail:
The name of this trail is the Ira Spring Trail. Ira Spring was a big trail supporter around here and I knew there was a memorial to him somewhere but I never saw it until today:
Perfect weather, about 70 and sunny. Compelling views. I kept stopping to marvel at my surroundings.
This hike is the mild one – if you want to work harder you can always go up to Bandera Mountain. To get an idea of what this is like, here is what it looks like (in 2D anyway) looking up. When you do Bandera you get up that high in about .7 mile. Steep!
Finally, I love this sign, which is maybe a mile from the trail head:
I love this sign because it is a great reminder of where you are and what you are doing. You are hiking up a steep mountain trail, through the wilderness, to visit an alpine lake. How much fun is that?
Garmin’s web site is frizzled right now, I will post the track when it is fixed.