Speed Hiking Snyder Lake

After hiking Otokomi Lake, I still had one more day off to enjoy, and since I'm addicted to hiking, I of course wanted to spend it doing just that! No sitting around watching TV for me! :P
But, getting to the hiking trails without a car can be challenging... So, I decided to catch a ride with my coworker who was giving the boat tour at Lake McDonald Lodge (where a number of trails begin). A perfect plan, except that the boat tour shift only lasts 3 hours up there (two boat tours), so I would have 3 hours to do 8.8 miles of hiking, unless I wanted to walk 10 miles back home!

So I decided to challenge myself and see if I could do it. I kept a keen eye on my watch, and knew that at the half-way time point, I had to turn back, whether I had reached the end of the  trail or not! Lucky for me, I reached the Snyder Lake, and even had an extra five minutes to jump in, cool off, and relax in the sun! Then I had to barrel back down again, and beat my coworker to the car! Whoohoo! Here are two snapshots from this speed hike:

 Here's the lake at the top of the trail! Perfect for a nice dive on a swelteringly hot day!

And here's a lovely mule deer I saw on the side of the trail on my way down.

Whoohoo! 8.8 miles in 3 hours!