A tremendous energy at Waldo Lake

A tremendous energy resides at Waldo Lake. A few days ago I needed a mountain lake, so I took my pup Lolita and a tent and drove to Waldo Lake for an introductory visit. So many of you have swum / camped there this summer. I was sad to have missed out on the group fun, so I ventured out there solo to try to catch up with your joyful tales of crystalline waters and invigorating hours-long swims. Arriving in the afternoon, I found a campsite in Loop D, set up my tent, and took off to explore the trail around the lake. Within a mile, I found an exquisite primitive campsite on the tip of an outlook with perfectly placed boulders, cedars and huckleberries. Helloooooo lovely campsite…..we must sleep here tonight. Lolita could barely keep pace with my sprint back to Loop D, hasty decamp, and hustle back to the point to re-camp in paradise. We arrived just in time for dinner and sunset. Full bellies, we turned in for the night. About 3 hours later Lolita’s nervous wet noise and big brown eyes startled me awake in the pitch dark. A flash of lightning, a rumble of thunder. A storm moved away. Then suddenly another one came crashing in, just a few seconds between flash and rumble. TIME TO GO. I rolled up the sleeping bag and dog bed, prayed my little solar lamp would work when my cell phone failed. The path was well marked and so we found Loop D and the car just as the initial torrents rained down, a massive thunderstorm entering the scene to thrill our bones for the rest of the night. Next morning Lolita and I trekked back to little paradise to find a completely drenched tent and gear, AND a perfectly placid and enticing lake. Have you ever slid into the water with your suit and cap on, only to take them off a few minutes later and delight in the water on your skin everywhere? It’s a magical feeling. The crystalline waters were so clear that I could look down at my legs and feet, watching goosebumps disappear and my muscles flexing in perfect patterns with each stroke. Back at Loop D, a friendly campsite neighbor Andy from upstate NY recounted a story of 3 years ago when he and his new wife witnessed a direct lightning strike to the campsite next to theirs, sparking a wildfire and campground evacuation.  Their trauma carried through to now; perhaps indeed a tremendous energy resides here at Waldo Lake. It was a short intro but all magic.