Hike leader: Richard O’Neill
Narration by Richard O’Neill
Yeah, we saw the lakes, and they were cool, but we mostly really enjoyed the steady drizzle (not quite rain) keeping the forest moist and the trail tread damp. Low growing huckleberry bushes proffered bright orange leaves, the mosquitoes were nowhere to be found, the air was cool, and we all soaked in the moisture, pun intended. It was good not to be baking as we had been this endless summer.
The trail to Nip and Tuck Lakes is relatively flat, and comes in at a short 4 miles. The trail we walked on was the Metolius Windigo Trail which runs from Windigo Pass (where we started from) and ends somewhere on the other side of the Three Sisters. Seems a shame to hike just 4 miles, given the prodigious mileage of the trail’s full distance, but that’s how we roll.
Of the two lakes, Tuck is the more scenic one and despite the low cloud cover, we could see the perfectly conical silhouette of Odell Butte to the north. The meadows surrounding the lakes sported numerous small orchids known as Hooded Ladies’ Tresses. Although, if the ladies are hooded, then how can you see the tresses? I’m probably the only hiker in our bunch that wondered about that. On the way back, as the clouds cleared up and the day morphed to sunny, Cowhorn Mountain and Sawtooth Peak each made a brief trail cameo.
So, a good time was had by all, and we really enjoyed that autumn vibe on this hike.
See pictures of this hike on Richard O’Neill’s Flickr page
Pictures below by Richard O’Neill
(This photo by Rheo Wheeler)
(This photo by Lane Harris)
Great video! Very enjoyable hike. I was impressed with how diverse the forest is, and the Ladies Tresses and blueberries.