The Sky Lakes Wilderness is a special hike because of what you see and experience. From the trailhead you see and experience the cold water running from Cold Spring. As you move up the trail you enter a vast burnt out forest and experience the almost total devastation of the 2018 wildfire. But then as you continue you begin to notice all the new growth. The striking Fire Weed plants that grow tall with their brilliant pink flowers. The Bleeding Hearts along with other blooms of white, red and purple. And young pine trees sprouting out of the ashes.

As you continue along the loop trails you leave the burnt area and enjoy the green forests and marshes around several lakes. On this day we paused for lunch out on a peninsula on Heavenly Lake. Two of our number decided to refresh themselves in the lake's cool water. Sweet Huckleberries were a bountiful treat along the trail. 

We shortened our lunch a bit as rain clouds moved in across the lakes. But we only got a few drops as we headed back. 7.7 miles round trip.

Most of us stopped as the Lake of the Woods Resort for refreshments out on the deck.

It was a very nice day,

Rich