Windfall Lake: Saturday

I have to say that my favorite things about the Windfall Lake cabin are these: the canoe, the outhouse and the heater. None of the other FS cabins have had such an efficient stove. It heats the cabin right up so we were able to sleep comfortably using our long johns for pillows. It's also propane so we don't have to hike with fuel; the FS helicopters a tank in to the cabin each year. The canoe is fun - I just wish there were two paddles this time around. And the outhouse. Have I mentioned this here before? The outhouse is a solar evaporative toilet. This means that there is a fan running quite continuously drying out and maintaining the pit. The building itself is made of cedar so the only scent is cedar. Two thumbs up!

Saturday morning, the sky opened up and poured down on us. We knew that is wasn't supposed to stop raining for several days. It made for a lazy morning. Mr. X napped until noon. I read a book and sat on the porch watching water birds on the lake.

We had chicken salad sandwiches for lunch and then a group of five hikers and a dog showed up. Since the cabin is also a warming shelter, we invited them in but they declined. Maybe the fact we were still in our pajamas had something to do with it.

Devil's Club

Rather than staying for a canoe paddle, trout fishing and bonfire, we packed up after lunch and began our trek back to the car. Honestly, the rain wasn't trouble. That actually felt warm compared to the pools of water on top of the blueberry bushes. I'd shake the water off with my pole before walking through, but I was still drenched. The sleeves on my wicking shirt were heavy and I could feel the water running down my legs into my boots. About half way I stopped, removed my boots, wrung out my socks and insoles. About a half hour later, with numb fingers, I gave up on my long sleeved shirt and cap opting for my rain jacket and winter hat.

About 1/2 mile from the car we met a couple walking their five dogs. The man stopped to talk to us and ended the conversation with, "beautiful day for a hike". Something like that.

Miles: 10

Elevation: 700

Wildlife: bear scat

Windfall Lake Cabin

Yellow Circle: Windfall Lake cabin

We took Friday off work, and for some reason Mr. X thought that meant we should hike all day. It was his kind of hiking too, with lots of bushwacking through blueberries, ferns and devil's club. The scree fields and slippery planking were just a bonus. We could see Grandchild peak over our right shoulders as we hiked through the "meadows". I say they were "meadows" 'cause that's what the book said, but they sure looked like muskeg to me.

We stopped at the Windfall Lake cabin for lunch and to dry our shoes. I did take a fall on the blanking planking down to the cabin, but I'll spare you the details.

Mining car at Herbert Glacier Trail

After lunch (still carrying packs) we hiked the Windfall Lake trail, Herbert River Road, dodged gravel trucks on the highway, and took a short jaunt on the Herbert Glacier Trail and back to the cabin. About a mile back in to the Windfall Lake trail a bicyclist passed us, forcing us off the trail. When I just about fell over he started laughing...he's lucky my trekking pole didn't end up in his spokes; I was at mile 20, not mile 1.

As we were approaching the cabin we were worried about water. The Herbert River was silty, the lake water is like heavily steeped tea, the canoe paddle to a spring is considerable and there was only one paddle. Mr. X found a reasonable solution - a fast flowing stream of clear water in the middle of a mucky, usually stagnant pond. We hustled to filter the water as the mosquitos ate us for supper.

Once back at the cabin we stretched, dried our shoes, made our Mountain House dinner and went to bed.

Miles: 22
Elevation: 700 feet
Wildlife: porcupine, winter wren, stellars jay, raven, eagle, mallard+ducklings, merganzer