Thorp Lake — Saturday, Jul. 17, 2021

Ethan, Karen, & I headed in to Thorp Lake on this sunny, mild day with a very nice breeze.  We arrived at the trailhead about 11:00 and there were quite a few cars, but we didn't have any problem finding a place to park.  I was wanting a fairly moderate hike and since I had never been to Thorp Lake, it seemed to fit the bill.  I knew ahead of time that there was a steep section, but it was steeper than I expected and it took us old folks about 2 hrs to hike the less than 3 miles into the lake.  We were passed by a few faster parties including one with a large cast iron skillet and an Coleman stove.  Oh, to be young (and foolish) again!  Once there we pretty much had the place to ourselves, which was surprising given the number of cars at the trailhead.  The bugs weren't too bad and we spent our usual hour or so before heading back.  While we were there we saw an osprey and a scarlet tanager (what a beautiful bird!).  We met quite a few folks, both day hikers and backpackers, heading up as we were heading down.  The trail was a little overgrown in a few places, but I was surprised at how many nice wildflowers there were top to bottom.  The star was a gnome-plant (Hemitomes congesticum) which I had never seen before.  The lake was also prettier than I expected.  Despite the steepness, it was a great hike.