BLOOM LAKE TRAIL HEAD

Kevin eating a healthy snack of hard boiled eggs to start the hike.  I always pack a snack for right before we get on the trail head & for right after.  Nobody likes to be hungry so I always prepare ahead just in case.  I’m usually hungry every few hours.  I didn’t take a picture of it but we had our “treat” meal for the week. Gluten free house-made roast beef sandwiches. There are no starches in our diet so once in a while when we have a day to ourselves we indulge in a little sandy. Grains/Gluten are pretty nonexistent in my diet but this is kind of a hiking tradition for us!

Kevin checking out the Bloom Lake trail head.  We just decided to drive towards to coast today & pull off when we saw a trail head we wanted to explore. What I love about driving to the coast is that it’s a gorgeous drive & there are tons of trail heads to explore.  There are a few areas in Oregon that are like this. Kevin wanted to do this specifically because we had stopped here a few months ago to look for chanterelles & never quite made it to the lake.

One of the things I love about the Tilamook Forrest is the moss.  It’s really amazing when in the middle of winter there is still so much green.  It blankets the floors & tree limbs. It’s every where. I always feel like I’m in a fairy tale & a Sasquatch is going to come out & say hello on the path.  If the Forrest is this gorgeous in the winter can you imagine how green it is in the summer? It’s just magnificent.

We came to a fork where we had to go straight or go right. The signs were unclear but luckily Kevin had studied the map (not something I would’ve done) so he knew which way to go.  We came across this wooden sign a ways in that indicated we had made it to Bloom Lake! It was a quick hike, some steep points & you can definitely feel the thinning air (altitude) but not difficult at all. In my opinion, a beginners hike.  You can see Bloom Lake behind the sign if you really look between the trees.

When we got to the lake we saw a few signs that there may be beavers.  We both got kinda excited & took off in our own directions to look for the creatures.  Kevin spotted some animals in the water & called me over but I snapped this shot before heading back around the lake.  Was loving my Keen hiking boots, they kept my feet dry since I wasn’t really paying much attention to where I was walking.

Here’s another shot of Bloom Lake.  It was pretty but Kevin was a bit unimpressed. Apparently he is now a self proclaimed lake connoisseur & was apparently expecting more from this lake.  I on the other hand had no expectations & thought it was beautiful. I love lake reflections no matter where they are. Skeleton trees are really neat to look at.

The last time we came to this spot we went off the trail into the woods looking for mushrooms & stumbled upon tons of salamanders migrating. It was so cool, they were everywhere. Once I got over to where Kevin was he started pointing at all the sallys swimming around in the water. Can you see him? You can always click on the photos on my blog to see the images bigger.

FLASHBACK:

Here are a few shots from when we went back in November.  Kevin spotted a tiny Oregon Pacific Tree Frog on the forest floor as well.  Super rare find! Super cute but super poisonous so I didn’t touch it. It was literally the size of a quarter. I was very happy when I saw that I got a clear shot of him because he kept hopping through the leaves.

Stole another shot of Kevin watching the salamanders. He loves those little guys. Please note the birch forest in the background.