Sept 2 - Silver Lake/Lake Solitude (BCC)

Sunny day with temps around 90 degrees AND it's Labor Day!

I checked Alltrails and people are hiking up to Twin Lakes so either misread the sign yesterday OR they reopened the trail. Either way, I heading up and checking this out. Oh, not planning on heading up to Twin Lakes just Lake Solitude yet again (if possible).

Leave the house around 6:45am. 

See a Bull Moose along the river about 1/2 up. Kinda hard to miss with the number of cars pulled off the side of the road. 

I arrive at Silver Lake and the parking it pretty empty. I gear up and head to the boardwalk to check the sign about closures. Yes, they are working on a section of the trail (near the TH) that they worked on last year but if I head clockwise around the lake, the TH is open. So I off I go. Hoping to see the beaver today. Looks like they've built a new dam on the far side of the lake (their old one got destroyed because of the boardwalk re-build).

Lots of folks fishing already. There's a guy in a raft on the lake

and several people camping at the lake. Never seen that before so I'm not even sure that's "legal" but its good if a Ranger does stop them.

Plenty of ducks on the lake.

On the far side of the lake, there's some moving up the lake. Could that be a beaver. I ask a lady who is also watching and yes, it is a beaver with a stick for the dam. Yea!!!

Uphill is a lone doe.

I reach the TH and start up to Lake Solitude. 

Surprised to see some Thimbleberries (I should check Lambs Canyon; perhaps I haven't missed them).

Quiet walk - no moose, deer or pika sightings on the way to Lake Solitude. It's me and the Purple Asters and yellow composites.

I reach Lake Solitude and take a short rest. Many ducks on the lake.

Oh and there's a lone doe coming down to the lake. She's crossing the lowest switchback. Cool!

Time to head back.

When I reach the steps, I head up to the switchback. 

I do briefly one Pika.

Time to head back down.

At Silver Lake as I near the dam, I see another beaver moving in its direction. Nice to see them active again!

And near the VC, there's a lone doe in the brush.

Good day!

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