June 12, 2024.
7.5 mi. | 900′ ele. gain | 4 hr.
We pulled into an empty Summit Lake campground around 11 am and picked our favorite spot. I read this place was really popular, which is why we raced to get here. We dropped our money in the box for two nights, then hung out in the van working on various projects. People filtered in over the course of the day as the rain drizzled and sputtered down all around us.
Around 3:30 I started to get really antsy and needed to go for a walk. Luckily, the Flower springs trail started right from the campground. We planned to hike up a short ways, then turn around and come back. While the rain had stopped briefly, we assumed that wouldn’t last long. We were right about that last part.
Not ten minutes into the hike, the rain began again. Aaron put on his rain pants and I opened my umbrella. I paused frequently to look at all the little flowers, mosses, lichens and other unusual flora along the trail. It was remarkably dense and diverse, with lots of colors, shapes and textures. The trail followed the edge of the lake closely for a bit, then began to climb into an idyllic fairy forest. We continued on, making plenty of noise for the bears. A warning sign at the trailhead alerted us to a problem bear in the area, but the camp host just said to be vigilant but it was okay to hike. Honestly I didn’t even think we would get this far, anyways.
The landscape drew us farther and farther from camp. Our forest trail dumped us unceremoniously on to a gravel road. Should we turn back here or keep going? Let’s just go up a little further, I said. Then we reached a trail sign welcoming us into the tundra. Tundra! Well, we couldn’t turn back now. Let’s just see what’s along that boardwalk. We kept going. By now, the rain had relented a bit and the clouds lifted up to give us beautiful views across the rolling hillsides. Just a little further. Ooh, what’s that flower? Is that a mountain ridge back there? Well, we can’t turn back now, we’re almost to the lake!
Ultimately, we found ourselves at the edge of Wildflower Spring Lake. The water level was low and surrounded by long stretches of dark mud. It wasn’t the highlight of the hike, but it always feels good to reach some kind of destination. The sun even broke through a little bit, offering better and better views of the surrounding peaks. It was drop dead gorgeous, and we were the only ones out there.
We romped back along the tundra trail to the signboard that beckoned us further. From there, we took the gravel road straight back to camp. We had a late dinner, which would soon become a common ritual up here in the Land of the Midnight Sun. I’m usually an early riser, but when the sun never sets, you can start hiking any time you want!
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