Escape to Loon Lake

Lucy and I decided to have an easy hack day with Brett and Mufasa.  At 7am it was already getting warm.  We had worked hard the previous three days and needed a break.  We walked around the property, under the pine trees, and through the dry stream bed.  She was a champ, despite being in heat.  We finished up with a little bit of stretching trot and canter in the arena just because we enjoy it so much.  After a long warm up cruising the ranch, she was very easy to get in a relaxed frame.  Hmmm, this may become our new warm up.  This picture was taken earlier this week when it was cooler.  I rode in a tank top this morning.

The hot weather continued today and won't break until Tuesday.  Brett and I were not interested in being stuck in the house all day to escape temperatures in the upper 90s.  So, I packed a picnic, he packed the cooler with drinks and ice, and we headed up into the Sierras.  We drove up Ice House Road past a couple of beautiful lakes until we came to Loon Lake, at 6300'.  It was 74F when we arrived and the lake was deserted.  It was just us, the water, the wind...

the lodgepole pines,

the monkeyflowers,

and the Canada Geese.

On the way home we checked out the other lakes.  Ice House Resevoir is particularly beautiful, and a bit more crowded.  It is the lake closest to the highway and has a very nice, family friendly, picnic area.  It is at a lower elevation so there were more trees and less wind -- and a lot more people.