Applegate Lake

September 23, 2018

Autumn.....just the sound of it is enough to make us want to hike,  It is our favorite season of the year and along with Spring, is one of the most beautiful times to get out and hike.  So we wasted no time and got out on the first full day of Autumn for a hike at Applegate Lake.

A view of the very low but still beautiful Applegate Lake from the Payette trail

We started at the French Gulch trailhead and hiked along the Payette trail which follows the shoreline of Applegate Lake.  However, this shoreline had no lake as Applegate Lake is very very very low.  So our first mile or so was along dry lake with a shoreline.  We did notice a few Autumn colors in the trees and spotted a large Osprey nest up on a tree, so not all was disappointment at the start.

Osprey nest along the Payette trail

Autumn sunshine and blue skies!

We continued on the flat Payette trail for about 4 miles which did provide us with some beautiful views of various portions of the lake.  We then turned off onto the Osprey trail which headed uphill to the Prospector's Loop trail. Our plan was to hike the loop trail, but after about a half mile, we came across a very large tree across the trail.  The picture does not do justice. Our choices were to hike either up or down the very steep ravine 20-30 yards to the end of the tree and then hike either up or down the ravine to get back on trail.  Not our idea of fun with all the poison oak and since Katie voted "no" to make it a 3 - 0 vote, we turned around and headed back to the Osprey trail.

Road block and turn around spot on the Prospector's Loop

We then hiked up the Osprey trail to the Dagelma trailhead parking lot and started down one of our favorite trails, the Calsh trail.  This short trail wanders down and around the ravine from the trailhead to the lake shore where it intersects the Payette trail.  With the sun out, blue skies, and a slight breeze, it was a wonderful hike along the Calsh trail.

A little color of Autumn along the Calsh trail

After rejoining the Payette trail we hiked back to the French Gulch trailhead and our car having finished a beautiful 7.2 mile Autumn hike.  Get out and enjoy Autumn yourself.

Trekking Together
Glenn & Carol