After enjoying the view for a few minutes and downing some Gatorade it was time to drop down to Buntzen lake. If I hit Buntzen on a wet day I can poach the Buntzen lake trail and not have too many hikers on it. Sunday was definitely not one of those days. Up to the power lines I go. The trail is not as flowy but it sure is fast ripping back down to the road.
I could sit all day at the North end of Buntzen Lake. You don't get crowds of people at that end, the beach is decent and the views are awesome. With the dread of the climbs on the Lakeview trail there was even more incentive to chill on the beach, oh well another day.
The Lakeview trail has some really nice sections to it, it also has some lung busting, quad burning climbs. None of the climbs are really long but they are all steep and loose. I have cleaned them all individually at one point or another but have yet to come close to putting that entire section of trail together. After coming out of the Lakeview trail it is very tempting to keep along the road and head back out through the parking lots, but one more climb awaited. The Saddle Trail. 5 granny gear switch backs later I am at the top, all down hill from here. The old access road down to Sasamat Lake is fast and treacherous at the same time. Come over a rock outcropping too quicky and you are barely hanging on through a garden of baby heads.
One of my favourite sections of this loop is the hiking only trail down to Sasamat Lake. I have yet to see a hiker on it and it is a beautiful ribbon of single track winding through the forest. It is so much fun. Once pavement hits I hang a left and head home. Until next time.
