Heart Lake Hike #67

We had made plans to go snowshoeing on New Year day, but plans had to be canceled due to various reasons. I was very disappointed to have to cancel, except that is how life goes at times isn't it? We were then going to try and go on Saturday but that didn't' work either. So we planed for Sunday.
On Sunday morning Miss A, Cookie the dog and I left later then I had planned on because I had not slept well due to a huge thunder and lighting storm that happened at 3 a.m. I forgot that I had to get gas before picking L up. When we arrived to pick L up we still had not decided on where we were going to go hiking at. While driving Miss A informed us that she wanted to go to Beaver Lake again.
(I don't have a post for Beaver Lake because we did that hike before I started the blog.) I stated that I wanted to do a hike that we had not done before, so L pulled out her maps and begun looking at them. Miss A was still adamant that we go to Beaver Lake so L handed the maps to Miss A. Miss A then read aloud some names of hikes that we had already done, she then read Heart Lake. We all decided on Heart Lake since we had not been there before.
     Directions to Heart Lake are drive North or South on Interstate 5 and take exit 230 for Highway 20 west. Go through numerous stop lights and you will come to a roundabout, take the 2nd exit of the roundabout and follow highway 20, you will come to another roundabout take the first exit. A short distance later you will turn Right onto Campbell Lake Road, then turn Right onto Heart Lake Road. (The Mount Erie grocer is on your left, stop in and buy the Heart Lake and Whistle Lake maps. There are a ton of trails on the Anacortes Community Forest land and the trails crisscross and intersect each other.) Follow the road passing Mount Erie and Sugarloaf on your right, shortly after, on your left is  the parking lot for Heart Lake. The parking lot is large and there are 2 outhouses.
As you can see the sun was peaking out so we were very happy to have left the rain behind us, and hoping that the rain wouldn't make an appearance while we were hiking.

Looking out towards the lake from the parking lot.

The trail head.

The lake isn't that far off of the trail for quite a ways. Making it really easy to spot this in the lake,

there were a couple of them in the lake, and I wanted to fish one out, but it wasn't going to be easy and the shore was rather precarious. So I decided not to.

Stay left and stay on trail 210.

If you go left here there is a lovely bench to sit on and enjoy the view of the lake.

Just some pretty pictures of the trail.

 Our fearless leader.

"Miss A, I would like to take a picture of you facing me please."

Miss A and Cookie with annoyed countenances: "Okay Mom." 

We stayed left again to keep circumventing the lake.

I like to call this Sword fern alley.

 Stay left on trail 210. 

Not long after going through the gate we came upon this fallen tree.

 Miss A decided to name this the spider tree.

Here are a couple of pictures to show you what the trail is like. There are barely any roots or rocks. Whoever maintains these trails does an amazing job, and I am grateful.

Views of the lake were pretty much everywhere we went. It was so peaceful and calming to just look at the lake.

Wandering through a wetland section.

A small, and I mean small incline. 

Again we stayed left on 210 to go around the lake.

You can't tell in the picture but the tree is covered in holes all the way up it's trunk.

After going through the trees in the picture above you get one final view of the lake that is in the picture below.

You then come through this section of trees. Which I found fairly amazing to walk through. The picture doesn't even begin to do it justice.

Some recent tree falls from the wind storms we have had.

Cookie heard something. I think it was the other couple and dog that we saw.

The boreals on this tree covered in moss and ferns was beautiful. Shortly after we came upon another gate.

Go through the gate and stay left. You can hear the road at this point. The trail no longer goes around the lake.

You have to go left again 

to cross the road and ended up taking trails

 215 to 320.

Trails 215 and 320 are part of the Sugarloaf Mountain trail system. You can read about that hike here.

 You want to go left to take trail 320.

 320 is where we actually had the elevation gain. Miss A wasn't to thrilled about that.

 Cookie: "can we get going please."

The tree looks like it is over the trail and that you have to climb over it. But you do not, the log is cut in half for you to go through.

 This is a picture as you come up and crest the hill to the dirt road. We went left and followed it down to Heart Lake road and walked on the shoulder to the parking lot, because Miss A didn't want to do anymore inclines. If you don't want to do that go right and follow the trails according to the map.

This is an easy 2.8 mile hike with minimal elevation gain. It was muddy due to the rain, the sun was out and we timed it just right because shortly after we climbed into the car the rain started.

Until next time!