After last weekends weather sufferfest, thought I'd treat me wife to a Saturday night at Chico Hot Springs resort- reservations at 8:00 PM for their four star restaurant and some serious soaking in the hot springs, all after a nice day hike (this is where I might of messed up a bit 
).
Pine Ck Lake is just over 5 miles from the trailhead, but the catch is it's 5000' gain in those five miles.
Mile one is along a pretty tame section of trail and you're greeted with the Lower Pine Ck Falls, it's really pretty (and pretty loud too)
after the falls, things get cranking-upward!
after ~ 3.5-4 miles, you get a peek at Black Mountain peering over a ridge
at ~ 4.5 miles you're treated to the upper Pine Ck Falls
yet another series of switchbacks nets you Jewel Lake, a small lake just below Pine Ck Lake (she's still smiling at this point
)
we found these "chairs" someone had constructed between the two lakes- a lot of work as these were big rocks!
finally Pine Ck Lake- elevation 9200', where I might add my wife out-fished me yet again!
the trip back out was really tough as your legs are pretty hashed from the ascent, when my wife made it to the trailhead, she wasn't an overly happy camper- our reservations were for 8:00 PM and it was already 7:00 PM w/ about a 1/2 hour drive. We got to Chico at about 7:20, got checked in and had just enough time to shower and head down to the restaurant. Ate a great meal and then soaked in the hot springs, that seemed to soften things a up just a bit
).Pine Ck Lake is just over 5 miles from the trailhead, but the catch is it's 5000' gain in those five miles.
Mile one is along a pretty tame section of trail and you're greeted with the Lower Pine Ck Falls, it's really pretty (and pretty loud too)
after the falls, things get cranking-upward!
after ~ 3.5-4 miles, you get a peek at Black Mountain peering over a ridge
at ~ 4.5 miles you're treated to the upper Pine Ck Falls
yet another series of switchbacks nets you Jewel Lake, a small lake just below Pine Ck Lake (she's still smiling at this point
)
we found these "chairs" someone had constructed between the two lakes- a lot of work as these were big rocks!
finally Pine Ck Lake- elevation 9200', where I might add my wife out-fished me yet again!
the trip back out was really tough as your legs are pretty hashed from the ascent, when my wife made it to the trailhead, she wasn't an overly happy camper- our reservations were for 8:00 PM and it was already 7:00 PM w/ about a 1/2 hour drive. We got to Chico at about 7:20, got checked in and had just enough time to shower and head down to the restaurant. Ate a great meal and then soaked in the hot springs, that seemed to soften things a up just a bit
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