What a glorious day! Seven hikers collaborated on a TBA hike plan without knowing what trail conditions to expect ... and it couldn't have worked out any better! We headed out from the snow dump area behind Washington Cres. towards Esten Lake thinking that at least there is a snowmachine trail to take advantage of and snowshoes wouldn't be needed. Conditions were pretty good under beautiful blue skies, although the loud crunching ensured wildlife sightings would be unlikely. We hadn't made it very far when an alternate route presented itself - the Bear Bait Trail! A unanimous group decision to get into the bush sent us in a new direction. Onward and upward! On our way to the infamous erratic, Mark began wandering off trail and seemingly floated over the crusty landscape, inspiring all of us to do the same. What a wonderful feeling - not only were no snowshoes needed, but neither was a trail! Unlimited exploration was now possible and, after consulting his Gaia, Keith gave us a few options to consider. Hector Lake became our new destination and we happily found our way there with Keith's expert guidance. The only tough part of the hike was at the perimeter of the lake where we began to break through the crust. Our theory on that was that not enough freezing rain had made it to the ground to create the needed thick layer on top of the snow. After a particularly creative group photo and a wonderful snack in full sun, we wandered, in scatter formation, back to the beginning of the Bear Bait Trail, totally enthralled with this unique experience. Wish you all could have been there!
