Ira Spring Trail - Mason Lake

It started out as a reasonable day for a lake hike: cloudy skies, but not rainy. We arrived at the trailhead parking lot at 10:15 am--there were only a few cars there at the time. It was cool and breezy, and we were off to a nice start. The trail is in good condition. Because of the spring rains, creeks and waterfalls were at full strength. Slugs were out, but not in large numbers. Trees we noted included Douglas fir (major infestation!), Engelmann spruce, Ponderosa Pine, and alder--just to name a few.

Proceeding east along the Ira Spring Trail, we ascended into the clouds. We could see the bottom parts of McClellan Butte and colleagues across the highway. Shortly afterwards, views disappeared. As we neared the junction with the Bandera Mountain trail, rain began. We descended past the boundary of the Alpine Lakes Wilderness, and the rain became heavier, transitioning into hail. We met Jerry and Peggy on the trail, who both had known Harvey Manning and Ira Spring, and they told us some personal stories. Last year, on the Ira Spring Trail, we also met a lady who had known Ira Spring--a coincidence? 2-3 mm-size hail rained down as we reached the lake. There was snow on the trail near the lake, but navigation was not difficult. We reached the lake. Mason Creek was roaring. We stayed only briefly and headed back. As we left the lake, thunder and lightning started. In five years of living in the Northwest, I had not heard thunder that loud!

The remainder of the descent was a soaker. On the way down, the trail had become watery and muddy in spots due to the thunderstorm. I met a few brave souls who planned to climb Bandera (with a thunderstorm and poor visibility, I would have advised against it). Ascent time: 2 hours 45 minutes. Descent time: 1 hour 15 minutes.