To Cottonwood Lake

We like to explore dirt and gravel roads. A few days ago we were told of a dirt road we had not been on before so today seemed like a good day to explore it. Off we went to see a little mountain jewel called Cottonwood Lake.

We followed the narrow track (about a car and half wide) for about 20 miles, getting views of Cottonwood Creek as it meandered to the right and the left of the road.

The gentle curves of the creek keep luring us to see what was around the next bend. As we looked up, we saw a mixed forest of aspens and conifers. The meadows were sprinkled with late season wildflowers.

fireweed

asters

daisies

It’s hard to find a quieter spot. Since we did not see many people on the road, we were surprised to see Wanted Posters!

There were 4 of them, but not for the proverbial bad guy...these were for plants gone bad!  After the Wanted posters, we had a choice...right or left. Left brought us to a Forest Service campground, which had this rustic water pump providing fresh water to the non-existent campers.

 Right brought us to the little lake.

The lake is nestled in the mountains. There were 2 cars parked by the lake when we arrived. Both were empty because their people were fishing in the lake. One family had a bucket filled with trout!

You never know where a dirt road will lead, so you have to take the time to find out.