I have some catching up to do! On June 22, Ellie and I checked Perseverance Lake off the hiking list. This one's about five miles round trip, which is pretty much Ellie's limit. She was totally done at the end of this one.

This trail begins near Ward Lake and has tons of berries along the way. Unfortunately, when we went through, it was still early for picking. The trailhead said it was bear country, to I made sure to leash up Ellie and I let my new bear bell jingle us all the way there. 

The lake at the end was so beautiful. I did unleash Ellie when we got there so she could get around. The edge of the lake was covered in brush, logs and muskeg so we had to pick out route carfully. I think we stayed about 30 minutes eating snacks and then headed back. The trail guide says there's 450 feet of elevation gain, but my GPS showed 557. Not that it makes that much of a difference. 

I let Ellie run off-leash on the way back. I'm sure she enjoys it much more. She always runs back and forth, waiting for me to catch up before she takes off again. 

The day was perfect for hiking, as most days around here have been. Overcast and about 60-65 degrees, a little rain every once in a while, but no sun baring down on you on exposed desert trails. It's a nice change.