Lost Lake Hike

Last Thursday Tim, the dogs, and I went on a little excursion up CR 4 and ended up on an amazing hike! Neither of us had checked out the trail to Lost Lake so we decided to see how it was. BEAUTIFUL! We are definitely going to do some camping up there, either in the next week or two or next year.
The trail began with a steep descent towards a creek that was so clear you almost didn't know there was water in it (until Copper discovered it for us). All along the way I kept thinking about how much different the trail would have appeared if we were on our bikes. I wouldn't have probably enjoyed as many details of the trail that I was able to take in at this slower pace. I realized that hiking is more enjoyable than I had previously thought; usually while hiking I'm always wishing that I was on my bike so I could cover more ground more quickly. The dogs were running around like crazy, having a wonderful time. We trudged through snow and ice and mud and over bridges and through creeks: it was what a hike should consist of. We couldn't believe how much fun we were having. Finally we reached a sign that said Lost Lake pointing right. We walked another 20 yards and saw what I was afraid was Lost Lake. It was a marshy, swampy, not too beautiful pond (at best). Copper loved it and didn't hesitate to wade right in, covering herself with mud. Yuck.
We sat down on some rocks for a moment and watched the dogs enjoy themselves before we headed on. "That's not Lost Lake, right?" I asked Tim, beginning to understand why it is still 'Lost'. "Nope, it can't be." We hiked on. More and more snow began to surround us as we climbed up a rocky ice trail.
Quickly we reached the top and were blown away by the view of the crystal clear lake that confronted us. We decided to explore the psuedo trail that lead us around the lake. We followed it until it would disappear and we'd climb over huge rocks right next to the water. It was kind of sad at one point when Tim and Echo and I easily bounded from rock to rock and Copper froze with one hind leg on a rock and one on solid ground. She stood there whimpering and didn't move until I climbed back down and had to physically pick her up off of the rock. We tried to show her that she could swim around the parts that involved rocks and she finally figured it out. Then everyone was happy. The hike around the lake was challenging at parts and we had to climb over snow covered boulders and trust that the ice wouldn't break through to water.
About half way around the lake, I became aware that I was getting a blister on my right heel. It was ignorable at first but then became a nagging issue; I stopped a time or two to try to loosen or tighten my boot but nothing really seemed to work. Blisters are funny because they are such a small thing but they can really slow you down! As I walked, I realized that with a blister every step is either up-hill or down-hill. I loved the downhill sections.
We began the hike back towards the truck and couldn't stop talking about how cool and scenic that area was. We can't wait to go back! The dogs were tired, we were happy, and we all ate well that night. I'd highly recommend this trail to anyone who's looking for a secluded picture perfect trip.