Table Mountain Trail to Gillette Lake in Washington

 On July 6, Janene from Kazakhstan and I went East on I-84 to Cascade Locks, paid the Gods, crossed the bridge to Washington and turned West for a couple of miles to the North Bonneville trailhead
(see map at left).  You are supposed to have a Forest Service pass to park here.  And now, in Washington State Parks, you have to pay also.
So it goes.

Remembering that "courage and strength are naught without prudence"  we did not hike all the way to Table Mountain, but had brunch at Gillette Lake, a reasonable destination for a half day hike.

The trail heads Northward, through some woods

Mr. Thornsby gets up close and personal
with a big tree. 

You go through a clear cut with a view of Bonneville Dam

Suddenly, a view of Gillette Lake, and a host of asters

The lake is natural and is supposed to be stocked with Golden Trout, who normally live at high elevations in very cold water.  We did see some fish jump, but were not able to identify them.  There are some campsites by the lake.  

Mr. Thornsby found some Ghost Pipe (Monotropa uniflora) also known as Indian Pipe.  It is a saprophytic plant that gets nutrients from myccorhyzal fungi that live with tree roots in deep shady woods through much of North America.  This species is also found in Asia, but is absent from the Rocky Mountains.  Ghost Pipe flowers throughout the summer.  Unicorns love it.

Janene from Kazakhstan and her new friend