The Monday group had good luck with the weather as the forecast rain was only predawn showers. The clouds broke and the sun streamed out as we crossed Applegate Dam on our way to French Gulch TH.

The hike from Sullivan's Top 100 Hikes in Southern Oregon was a loop of 6.5 miles around the big peninsula jutting out into the Lake.

The trail was a bit damp at first but dried with the rising sun; as did the temps from mid-50s to high 60s.

A nice variety of wildflowers adorned the sides of the trails; including yellow Madia, blue Oregon Lilac, small Clarkia, yellow Happy Face, Indian Pink, Ground Cone, Lupine, orange Columbine, Blue Dyck, Azure Penstemon, Red and White Cobwebby Thistle, and purple Crown Brodiaea.

Applegate Lake was as full as any of us could remember. Making us think perhaps the long drought is ending. We saw many anglers fishing off the sides of the lake, and two women on bikes passed our group of 15 along the trail.

At lunch, a black and white Osprey passed overhead and perched at the top of a pine. Earlier we had seen a large Osprey nest at the top of a snag.

The trails were mostly gentle with intermittent shade and after lunch, we went out to a point for our group photo with the lake in the background. After that, we headed up the end of the Payette Trail which gave way to the Osprey Trail. The two combined amounted to 0.7 miles and most of the hike's 550' of gain. The last part was again gentle with shade and a short climb back to the parking area.