We were woken up by the sound of hoof beats. I crawled out of the tent to discover a small group of deer making their way through the campground, including a cute young spotted fawn. We’d heard them in the night as well – they sounded remarkably loud! We dragged ourselves out and had a leisurely breakfast by the side of Pyramid Lake. After breakfast we explored the far end of the lake, picking our way over the boulder field. Maria and Merewyn stopped at a convenient rock by the lake side while I ventured further, scrambling up for a better view.
After a while we returned to camp and looked at our other exploring options. Victor and Jennifer had decided on the Rim Trail; we decided to take it easy and go on a little loop that took in a couple of the other lakes. First stop was Lake of the Woods, which was far nice and scenic that we’d imagined from reading the info. From the north shore of the lake there was a great view of Pyramid Mountain. Though undoubtedly busy and popular, it was still a nice spot to camp. A couple of fishermen were trying their luck out on the lake.
From there we continued on through a swampy area on a raised boardwalk towards Quiniscoe Lake. We reached the ranger cabin and spent a few minutes reading the current trail info. We took the trail anti-clockwise, heading up the north side of the lake as it ambled through the trees, pausing at several rocky outcrops to admire the view. At the far end of the lake, where the trail from the Rim joined, there was a beautiful little waterfall which cascaded down a rock face and splashed into a narrow opening. Very cute.
We carried on around the lake and were soon back at our campground. We packed away our gear in preparation for catching the lunchtime shuttle down. Merewyn found time for another swim in Pyramid Lake, but couldn’t tempt either of us. And so reluctantly we dragged our stuff back to the lodge to get the shuttle. This time we hung around and opted for one of the newer vehicles to get our ride down in dust-free, air-conditioned comfort. Much better! The Unimog is well worth experiencing, but I think once is probably enough.
Back at the base, we loaded the car and headed home, enjoying the drive back through the Similkameen Valley. What a fabulous place.
Distance: 5 km
Elevation gain: 30 m
Being. Outdoors. 