We meet at the Ballpark in Gillies Bay at 10:00am.
Last week we had some low cloud in Gillies Bay which was a little unexpected as the weather forecast had predicted clear sky and sunshine all day. It seemed like a good idea to drive towards the high ground and see if we could locate a sunny area for hiking. As we climbed the hill on Bell R.d we ran into some high elevation fog and there was a skim of fresh snow on the road. However driving conditions were good and tire tracks on the road showed other vehicles had gone before us. By the time we reached Bobs Lake we found we had entered a winter wonderland with snow everywhere even decorating the tree branches. The sky was now a brilliant blue, the air quite still and the sparkle from the tiny ice crystals in every sunny area was quite fascinating. We parked at the gravel pit just before the Bobs Lake Campground junction.
The hike was a circular one that included the upper part of the long Gentian Lake Trail and a quick visit to the north end of the lake which was covered in a sheet of white ice that broke the stillness with those sudden loud sounds that you hear when someone throws a rock on it. Only there were no one to be seen — quite spooky! For lunch we sat beside a large ice covered beaver pond in very warm sunshine before returning to the gravel pit along grassy winding forest trails. It was felt odd to drive back towards Gillies Bay with no trace of snow or ice to be seen even on the top of Mt. Pocahontas.
JD.
The Gentian Lake Trail in winter. Much of the trail is in forest and was clear of snow this day.
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