Mary Ann Nelson led the Moxies over the river and through the woods to beautiful Paradise Basin. The weather forecast called for 80% rain so the intended hike to Columbine Lake was rescheduled. It was lightly sprinkling when we arrived at the trailhead but it stopped within a few minutes. As the Moxies hiked or should say scouted along the animal tracks searching for the "real" trail, we had to be careful with our footing to avoid slipping on the wet willow branches and grass. We did stop a few times to enjoy the view of the fog rising up through the valley. Paradise Basin is typically a 2.76 mile round trip hike but today our fearless leader decided to take us on the scenic route which added another half mile or more. Hum...was this a route finding error or was it done purposefully to make sure we all got our 10,000 steps? This short hike which involved a steep final ascent to the overlook above the lake allowed us to enjoy the picturesque Paradise basin and its wildflowers. But... shortly after arriving the dark clouds appeared to be building so we stuffed our half eaten lunches back in our packs and started our descent while utilizing our route finding skills to find our way back down to the Trailhead. We did find the cairns and the intended "real" trail on the way back. The sun was out and the dark clouds had moved on by the time we reached the cars so the group decided to walk over to Opus Hut before heading back down Ophir Road. By the time we drove through Silverton the sky was mostly sunny and the forecast for rain had decreased to less than 15%. We hung our heads knowing we had missed an opportune day to hike to Columbine lake. Nevertheless, we did get to enjoy an exploratory "on" and "off" trail adventure that no one will soon forget. Thanks Mary Ann for a great day.
