Pamelia Lake backpack, Aug 24th

Several friends had been visiting Pamelia Lake this year and posting amazing pictures in facebook. After looking for a while, it was clear we needed to add this to our to-do list. So one day, Val and I were sitting trying to plan an outing. We had several choices but decided to try our luck and see if we could get permits for Pamelia. Incredibly enough, we scored the last couple of permits for that weekend. Late on Friday we packed our gear and drove to the trailhead where we spent the first night in the car. It was something we wanted to try so we could have an early start without the rush of driving there. That turned out to be a great idea. On Saturday, we woke bright and early to a fabulous blue sky day. Soon after breakfast we hit the trail heading towards Pamelia Lake. That portion of the trail was interesting as we could see that the area get a fair amount of rain. Most of the trail is covered with dozens of little streams that crisscross the forest floor. Suddenly, we got to the lake. We were expecting a view like the one you get when you reach Coldwater Lake in Mt St Helens. Reality was a bit different. You can see the lake but not much of it. From there we veered off towards the PCT taking the long way towards Hunts Cove, our destination for the night. Once on the PCT, we were welcomed with some fantastic views of the area



From that point, the trail followed the side of the mountain with views of Hunts Creek and Pamelia Lake far below. Then we made a turn and found ourselves traversing a meadow with several small lakes, many of them without names, until we reached Mud Lake. Mud Lake is a medium shallow pond that’s named only in guides, not in maps, still it’s very easy to see why it’s named that way



We found a nice rock outcrop just above the lake where we stopped for lunch. From that point we got a clear view of what we originally thought was just a rock hill. Later, while studying the map, we realized we were looking at the west side of Mt Jefferson. We took our time to walk around and take pictures around the lake and while doing that, we found this little guy



After that, we continued towards Shale Lake. From the trail you can see it’s a very small lake but it has some pretty impressive views. We walked around to a campsite we saw from the distance and found the iconic, postcard like, view of this hike. From this vantage point you can see Shale Lake with the reflection of Mt Jefferson in the back. It was truly an inspiring view



Several pictures after, we continued on the PCT towards the Hunts Creek trail. This section of the trail was incredible as every turn offered a new view. On one side we could see our destination far below and on the other, a ridge line that almost invites you to climb Mt Jefferson. Towards the junction, we noticed a hill to the side where the soil had an intense red color. A bit later we noticed the connector trail we would be taking down to the lakes. Just as we did that, we saw the first clouds come from west and move quickly to cover the top of the mountain. By then we were a bit tired so we continued hiking down until we got to Hanks Lake. Once there we both got a bit indecisive. Usually we have a pretty good idea where we want to stay, but for some reason, that was not the case this time. We saw some viable and available campsites around Hanks Lake but notices they were pretty close to the trail. Since we wanted a bit more privacy, we decided to continue on to Hunts Lake. There we fund a campsite at the very end of the trail and another in the bushes. Not completely contempt with that, we went back to Hanks Lake and walked around. After a while both Val and I reached a point where we just needed to drop our bags, we were starving. Finally we made the call and went back to Hunts Lake, dropped our bags and cook dinner while setting up the tent. At dusk, the clouds were moving over the ridge and the sun was painting them orange. It was quite a sight that we enjoyed for a while before going to bed.



We went to bed and I started thinking about what to say or when to propose. Normally when Val and I go backpacking, we wake up early in the morning and before we have breakfast, we go out for a walk. I thought that would be a perfect opportunity for me to propose. Besides, it was our two year anniversary. Well, the plan was not realized. At some point during the night, it started raining so we woke up early as usual with the sound of ran drops over our tent. We took a peek outside and it was raining hard enough to keep us from going out. At that point I knew I had to change the plan, quick. So I turned around, picked up the ring I had in my camera bag, turned back around and managed to kneel in the tent. Grabbed Val’s hand and simply proposed. It was a magic moment for both of us. On one side she was not expecting it and new nothing about the ring and I wasn’t expecting her reaction. She did say yes.



After that magic moment, we managed to have breakfast in the tent and pack everything without getting stuff wet. It was nice we were not in a hurry as we had a short hike back out. At some point midmorning, we finally decided to get out packs on and hit the trail. Needless to say the hike back was full of laughter and kisses under the rain. Both Val and I got soaking wet but what can I say, I went out with a good friend and came back with a wife to be. How can you beat that?



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