Two old big dogs , Two young small dogs and two middle-aged women found an unexpected paradise yesterday on the shores of Todd Lake. ” Why unexpected ?” you might ask ” everyone knows how beautiful and pristine Todd Lake is …” What is unexpected and special is that there are no tourists that dare to trot through the patches of snow that blocks small parts of the trail ,,,and so there is noone to ask you to put your dogs on leash. And …you and your pups can run,play and enjoy the meadows full of buttercups, larkspur, shooting stars and Indian Paintbrush as well as the rivulets of snowmelt coming from the mountains.

How to get there and what to bring :

Bring Hiking boots  (because you have to hike through small patches of mud and snow),a towel for your dogs( they might want to swim and roll in  the wonderful new grass)a Forest Pass and a leash to use for the first half mile of the trail

Take the Cascade Lake HWy  , turn off at the “Todd Lake” sign , hike from the parking lot . You will round the entire lake in about 1 hour…and have a great experience.

Please be aware that it is o.k. to have your dogs off-leash only  as long as the snowy trails keep the meadows from being swamped  with tourists who don’t understand  a dog’s need to run free!