Ten Mile Road Trip #1: Lake Beauty in the Spring

Today we took advantage of the sunny spring weather and our scenic area and took a ten mile road trip. We can leave our house and travel ten miles and see some of the most spectacular scenery in Washington. We started today driving along Lake Roosevelt. This is a view looking north along Inchelium HIghway.

This is a view of Barnaby Island looking south along Lake Roosevelt. We were intrigued with the cloud formation in the afternoon sky. This is another view of the lake from above as we headed up a country road southwest toward Lake Ellen.

When we arrived at Lake Ellen we viewed a contrast of green and white. Because of the altitude and location of this lake, it is still covered with a white layer of ice.



Soon this rock formation will become an island for swimmers and boaters to rest on while enjoying Lake Ellen. I was still amazed today that it was covered with ice. This lake has a small campground at each end and a boat launch. I hear it has good fishing, but I am not a fisherwoman so I wouldn't know. Moving west on the lake road we came up to a aspen grove. In early spring with the stark,white trunks still exposed, these trees take on a unique beauty. In a few weeks this whole landscape will change with green leaves budding out and wildflowers beginning to show their colors.Just a half mile from the lake the beaver pond is thawed and the house the beavers constructed has held up over the winter months.
Our last stop was a clearing that is safe for the dogs to explore. They ran, taking in the new smells of spring. We were disappointed we couldn't hike down to Barnaby Creek. It was also still surrounded by snow. The dogs love this spot and always perk up as we drive near. I guess it is a certain pine, moss, creek smell they always remember. It was time to go home. The dogs were tuckered out from their run and I was anxious to see the new slide show of pictures. We are blessed to live in an area where we can do a ten mile road trip and see this much spectacular beauty. I will share other ten mile trips around Lake Roosevelt throughout the seasons.