Pratt Lake report from Paula

Here's a great hike report from Paula...

Nora and I did the Pratt Lake Basin Hike today, though, oddly, we didn’t make it to Pratt Lake (that’s a very long round trip, I think 11 or 14 or 40 miles or something). We did the 8+ mile round trip which takes you by Lake Talapus and Lake Ollalie. It was a nice trail without much traffic today (the first mile is the same trail as Granite Mountain, I think most people went that way) but it was so overcast today that standing on the shore, you could only see about 20 feet onto the Lake! We were definitely hikers in the mist today. At least it didn’t rain! Nora should have some good pictures to share, including some daring trekking through snow. J

I’ll let Nora describe how she earned her new nickname today (“Marco Polo”). J It was funny and I teased her about it unmercifully right up until I did something way more embarrassing! J It was a bit muddy and there must be 12 small (and not so small) streams to hop over. I forgot to grab my boots this morning so only had my trail runners. I managed to make it all the way up without incident (and dry) but on the way down I slipped and fell, only bruising my ego. Five minutes later a slipped again and bruised (and scraped) my ego, neck, collarbone, knee and wrist and probably other places I’ll notice tomorrow. No lasting harm done to anything other than my ego (and I had to endure some funny looks one the way down since the front of my shirt was muddy). J

We hit the trail at 8:30 and were back again at 2:00.

Lessons Learned
- Paula – wear boots
- Paula – don’t forgot your 10 essentials including a change of clothes
- Paula – more focus and attentiveness
- Someone – bring a first aid kit
- Nora – bring your whistle when you walk off the trail for a bio break
- Everyone – there was a car broken into in the parking lot (not Nora’s car fortunately), don’t leave any valuables insight!
- Nora – what am I forgetting????
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Anyway, it was a great hike but I think I’m beat up enough, no hike for me tomorrow, but you guys have fun!

Paula T. (fortunately I already have a nickname)