As you all know, last weekend I went backpacking with my Boy Scout troop.  It was an exciting weekend of hiking, experimenting with camp stoves, and getting lost in the woods.  All-in-all, it was great!

Unfortunately for you, I forgot my camera back in camp and never got the opportunity to take any pictures of the area.  I did, however, take some time to sketch a couple of wild flowers.  I’m out of practice from the last time I did my sketching, but it’s encouraging me to get back into the habit.

Also, here is this year’s critter count for the trip:

• Chipmunks: 2; Deer: 8; Tree Frogs: 1

We also discovered some interesting things about the area, too.  First of all, the lake does have fish.  This was evident by the man fishing on the other side of the lake, the multiple fish heads we found on the rocks, and the jumping fish when the bugs came out.  And I left my fishing pole at home.

The second thing we discovered is that September is not too early for snow in the mountains.  Yes, for a few minutes on Sunday we got snow on the trip (which quickly transitioned to rain for the rest of the day!!!).  On the drive out, we passed several snow-littered hills, and the ski slopes actually looked white.

I’m looking forward to my next trip.  I plan to re-refine my drawing skills by then, and hopefully remember to take my carefully packed camera when I go for a day hike.  I could spend hours describing the beauty of Horse Lake and the surrounding area, but a picture is worth a thousand words … and I doubt you actually want to read that many right now.