Paula's Lake

In 2001, right after the 9/11 tragedy, we went up to Loon Lake and canoed to the far side to the boat-in campground. This year we went back there because I asked to be let off hiking duty with my sore heal. This was our annual trip with Ann and Linda, old friends from the health department. We share a love of the natural world and have enjoyed our annual hikes or canoe trips for over 10 years but this is the first time we ever returned to a place we visited before.

As we left town we called our friend Paula. I’d heard the day before that she had been diagnosed with cancer and we wanted to say our Love to her before we got out of range. We promised to do a healing circle for her on Monday morning, the day of her surgery. Her sweet voice on the phone really triggered me and she filled my thoughts and dreams while we were in the mountains.

Loon Lake is north of Hwy 50 on the back side of the Desolation Wilderness. Not far from the famed and infamous Rubicon trail. (Thank Goodness we missed their grinding and roaring this time.) Loon Lake didn’t have any loons but we saw Canada geese and canvasback and one adult bald eagle who flew past our lookout as we placed a necklace from Sri Lanka in a tree for Paula’s mind and spirit to visit.

It was a good trip. Each morning we had to assist small frogs out of the canoes where they had settled under the life preservers. We did hike to nearby Spider Lake and swam around an island there. We also canoed all the nooks and crannies in Loon Lake and wandered around looking for driftwood, garbage in my case, and swimming off the big granite slabs and granite sand beaches. The clarity of the light stays with me back home here in the dull heat and heavy air of the valley.

We had wonderful meals and got Ann and Linda more invested in Scrabble. They're good easy going women and I appreciate their commitment to these annual camping trips.


I sent Paula the cold embrace of the early morning lake before the ripples had started, right at eye level with all the beauty and stimulation the body could appreciate. The clear joy of living.