The Hole Tourist: Taggart Lake Loop

This hike was might be the most satisfying hike I have ever completed. As any followers of this blog my know we have set out on the Taggart Lake trail head many times, yet never once have we completed the loop. Well yesterday with as much will power and fight as we could muster we finished the loop.

We set out on the loop taking the typical approach going over the bridge and along the ranch, coming to the Bradly Lake trail junction. We considered taking the trail for a moment. However the trail was difficult to follow as it was just a cross country ski trail and we sank through the tracks. So we decided maybe we just stick to the loop this time. So we about-faced and headed back to the main trail.

Everyone has their own path.
Emma, Lulu, Mom, Jack, Kevin

We had turkey sandwiches, bananas, and Cheetos on the frozen lake before we started out to complete the second portion of the loop. To get to the lake is about a mile and half, the beaver creek portion of the loop is about two and a half miles. This side also has many many back country trails shooting off of it. I know that at times we were on back country trails and times we were on the main trail, still others we had to veer off one trail and bush whack it to a different tail. That being said the beaver creek portion of this loop is strenuous for hiking, especially if you meander off on one of the back country tails created by someone with skis or snowshoes. Kevin and I had to spend a good portion of the return trek on our hands and knees to avoid sinking waist deep with every step, the upside? We brought the sled, so every downhill portion of the hike someone got a free ride to the bottom.
All in all it took us 4 hours of hiking time to finish the four mile loop. Next week anything but Taggart Lake.