Kautz Creek TH to Indian Henry's Cabin - 12:20pm to 3:40pm
I had a very lazy start to my day, thus the lunchtime start. Thankfully, the temperature wasn't too hot, so the 3900' feet of uphill on my way to the cabin and Mirror Lakes was attainable, if very difficult (especially if you're not feeling well in the first place).
The bulk of the hike is in the forest, so there aren't too many views for a long while. The bonus about this is the shade and lack of big crowds. I only passed a couple of groups on my way in and saw no one on my way out. For a Friday afternoon hike near Longmire, it felt totally secluded!
The hornet nest that the previous reporter mentioned is still there (about 2/3 the way up the trail) - they didn't bother me, but they could be an issue for other hikers.
Indian Henry's to Mirror Lakes - 4:00pm to 4:30pm
After spending time enjoying the view at the cabin, I meandered out to Mirror Lakes. There were several bridges over tiny streams that looked ready to fall apart. I greatly enjoyed one spot on the trail that had water pooled in it - a group of tadpoles had made a home there! I don't think I've ever seen tadpoles that big before.
The lakes were nice and I caught a mostly-clear reflection off of the first one. It was a wonderful spot for a snack break! No bugs bothered me while I was there.
Mirror Lakes to Kautz TH - 5:00pm to 7:45pm
The hike out was great! Bugs only tried to bother me when I ventured through areas where flowers were still trying to bloom. Other than that, it was a solitary, peaceful walk through the woods. I returned to the trailhead in time to catch some sunset color on the mountain. It was fun to watch people drive past Kautz Creek, then turn around, then run for the viewpoint... one person did this whole process twice before finally heading down the mountain. What a great day to be outside!
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