Island Lake Trail

Wednesday night we were (not surprisingly) tired. Once back at the Ramada (technically the Ramada by Wyndham Hotel Elko at Stockmen's Casino), with a fresh ice bucket, we discussed options for dinner. Our first night, we just ate at the restaurant in the hotel, Stockmens Restaurant and the Stockmens Coffee shop for complimentary breakfast. But for Wednesday we decided to do something special, so we went out to the Star Hotel Restaurant and Bar, just around the corner from the Ramada.

The Star Hotel Restaurant is "Basque Dining Family Style," long tables with everyone sharing big bowls of food (plus your own main course). We arrived late, so the dining area was fairly empty. Once seated, we were served "Homemade Cabbage Soup, Tossed Salad with Star Hotel House Dressing, Fresh Baked French Bread, Basque Beans, Pasta, Green Beans, French Fried Potatoes." Tom ordered grilled chicken, I opted for the pork chops slathered in garlic. It was a LOT of food.

Then it was suddenly time for our second hike in Lamoille, the Island Lake Trail. This trail was up the steep mountainside you saw as you drove into the parking lot at the road's end. After we finally found the starting point, we discovered the trail consisted of switchback after switchback--there always seemed to be another turn in the path, followed by an incline. By the time we reached our goal, we were at 9,700 feet elevation, which is the point for me where breathing gets ragged.
But what a hike! Across snow melt waterfalls, rickety wooden bridges, slippery wet rocks, a bit of slushy snow, until we reached the lake, which was still buried in snow. Sitting under the pine trees, we were serenaded by mountain bluebirds.

The trail was a bit steep, and at times the turns felt never ending. But it was really interesting, particularly when we kept stumbling upon little critters like the toad in the above photo (center). If you look carefully at the photo below, you'll see me in the center, walking down the path toward the rickety bridge that crossed the rushing snow-melt waterfall.

This area was SO beautiful.... Finally, after we reached our car and started the drive back into Elko, we were entranced by the light, as a storm began rolling in, very near sunset. On the way back to the hotel, we stopped at the huge Smith's Grocery Store near the hotel, at which point the wind was blowing a stinging wall of sand with just a little rain; the wind was enough to blow over all the store signs on the sidewalk in front of Smith's, and the poor bag boys were running out to grab everything before it blew away. And then it was finished.
Lamoille Lake Trail