Eklutna Lakeside Trail

 I met my friend Alice at the end of Eklutna Lake Road and we drove up to Eklutna Lake together. We had not hiked together for quite a while. It was great to hike and catch up. We walked along the Lakeside Trail to a little way past the Yuditnu Cabin. We might have gone farther but the wind off the lake was really strong and very cold. I figured the trail would be very muddy like most of the other trails right now. But it was surprisingly dry and in good condition. There were a few muddy spots and a couple of giant puddles to work around, but it was easy to avoid those areas. The lake is still frozen. With the recent warm temperatures, I've been hesitant to venture out onto the lake. But we did see a small group out on the ice. But they were pretty close to the shore. I mostly let Bella run free, but grabbed her several times when we encountered other hikers and a couple of bikers with loose dogs. She barked at them, as usual, but we all passed each other with no incident. The clouds were gathering around the mountains so the view of them was deteriorating. But as always, it was still beautiful and peaceful, except for dealing with the icy wind when on the lower trail along the lake. It was a nice 7.2 mile workout and we both felt like we had done something much better than sitting home.