We headed out to Gold Creek to see if we could catch the aurora, and at the least- see the night sky. A few other groups had the same idea, and the shoreline was dotted with DSLRs on tripods. It was most certainly a gathering of photographers. Bats flitted around feasting in the last hour of light. The smell of smoke emanated from the fires that some had built in the BBQ pits, and the sun took its time to leave. By about 11pm the faint traces of light finally faded out and the sky opened up to the milkyway. Thousands of stars twinkled overhead. We watched satellites, and things we couldn't quite identify make their way around the universe. Trail Conditions: Great place to camp and see the sky, the view is pretty wide open. Beware of bugs, they were attacking us and we didn't have bug spray so we drove 2mi to a Chevron near the ski resort and picked some up. After that it was fine though! DEET to the rescue. The pond is about a 5min walk from the parking lot so you could bring your regular camping equipment here and not have to carry it far. There are BBQ stands and picnic tables, plenty of space for tents. We saw two deer on the way over, one right by the freeway and one on the forest road. Keep an eye open for them and GO SLOW when you spot 'em!

Golden hike with grandparents! I took my 80+ parents for this hike and it was perfect! The trail was beautiful, nice views to the north and even spotted few geese babies. We had to cross two snow patches on the trail that were not an issue but added excitement. Perfect 1 mile. Thanks WTA for "find a hike", we loved it!

The road to Gold Creek Pond is clear of snow now and the trail seemed mostly clear, at least up to the pond and probably along the western portion to the rear. The eastern side probably still has snow since it's under heavier canopy. The picnic area was ready for fun and the ground was firm and mostly dry again.

Ended up here after our original trek had too much snow cover to do with baby on my back. Most of this trail is snow free and the lake is beautiful. If you walk the loop to the right from the trailhead (east) there was quite a bit of snow, and some folks missed the continuation of the trail heading into some trees. The trail though is passable if you have the correct footwear. I did it with my baby in a pack on my back. However since the rest of the path is paved, this portion is not suitable for strollers as some families had wondered.

We arrived at 11AM. No access to parking slot because of the snow, so not too many people. There is additional mile to walk until you can reach the trail itself because of it. Overall very nice hiking with kids that enjoyed the snow very much.