We just didn’t make it out Lake Almanor very much this year. Usually it’s the summer heat that drives us to the shore, and that heat never really materialized. But on a crisp fall morning last weekend we drove out to the Canyondam Boat Launch west of the dam and caught the eastern terminus of the Lake Almanor Recreation Trail. This paved trail with level grade and a few rolling hills runs for 11 miles along the along the southwestern shore of the lake. On this day, fallen needles softened the asphalt. Our wheels of choice this trip were a small umbrella stroller for A., and M.’s paddle bike. “Hopefully M. will be able to keep up with a brisk walk,” I said to myself. Well, Miss M. left us in the dust. The gentle curves and small hills were the perfect challenge for a three-and-a-half-year old. She flew along the empty trail, her grandmother and aunt breaking into a run to keep up.
We paused to skip rocks at the shore of the calm, glassy lake. A tern wheeled overhead and a statuesque cormorant perched in the distance.
Mama Bluefoot 