The fires gave an eery sky where a marine layer kept the smoke above us, so the air was breathable, but it lookd quite bad, mars like:
![](/blogimg/01/thumb1024_101_20200908_Alpine_Mindego_Lake_Hike.jpg)
![air was ok enough air was ok enough](/blogimg/19/thumb1024_119_20200908_Alpine_Mindego_Lake_Hike.jpg)
air was ok enough
![not the best view though not the best view though](/blogimg/04/thumb1024_104_20200908_Alpine_Mindego_Lake_Hike.jpg)
not the best view though
![](/blogimg/10/thumb1024_110_20200908_Alpine_Mindego_Lake_Hike.jpg)
![looked a bit better on the under tree shade looked a bit better on the under tree shade](/blogimg/06/thumb1024_106_20200908_Alpine_Mindego_Lake_Hike.jpg)
looked a bit better on the under tree shade
![](/blogimg/14/thumb1024_114_20200908_Alpine_Mindego_Lake_Hike.jpg)
![and not as much as soon as we got sunlight and not as much as soon as we got sunlight](/blogimg/11/thumb1024_111_20200908_Alpine_Mindego_Lake_Hike.jpg)
and not as much as soon as we got sunlight
I found this in a hole, looks like some kind of eggs that got eaten by a predator:
![](/blogimg/09/thumb1024_109_20200908_Alpine_Mindego_Lake_Hike.jpg)
![quails quails](/blogimg/17/thumb1024_117_20200908_Alpine_Mindego_Lake_Hike.jpg)
quails
Some of the access was supposedly closed:
![](/blogimg/24/thumb1024_124_20200908_Alpine_Mindego_Lake_Hike.jpg)
![](/blogimg/28/thumb1024_128_20200908_Alpine_Mindego_Lake_Hike.jpg)
![interstellar anyone? interstellar anyone?](/blogimg/31/thumb1024_131_20200908_Alpine_Mindego_Lake_Hike.jpg)
interstellar anyone?
Back under some trees:
![](/blogimg/32/thumb1024_132_20200908_Alpine_Mindego_Lake_Hike.jpg)
![](/blogimg/33/thumb1024_133_20200908_Alpine_Mindego_Lake_Hike.jpg)
We found an old half abandoned small cluster of houses that was apparently off limits. I'm not sure if that was fully legal, or just trying to scare people away:
![](/blogimg/39/thumb1024_139_20200908_Alpine_Mindego_Lake_Hike.jpg)
![](/blogimg/40/thumb1024_140_20200908_Alpine_Mindego_Lake_Hike.jpg)
![](/blogimg/41/thumb1024_141_20200908_Alpine_Mindego_Lake_Hike.jpg)
![](/blogimg/43/thumb1024_143_20200908_Alpine_Mindego_Lake_Hike.jpg)
![from there, we got back to a trail entrance from there, we got back to a trail entrance](/blogimg/44/thumb1024_144_20200908_Alpine_Mindego_Lake_Hike.jpg)
from there, we got back to a trail entrance
![](/blogimg/47/thumb1024_147_20200908_Alpine_Mindego_Lake_Hike.jpg)
![](/blogimg/53/thumb1024_153_20200908_Alpine_Mindego_Lake_Hike.jpg)
![](/blogimg/57/thumb1024_157_20200908_Alpine_Mindego_Lake_Hike.jpg)
![](/blogimg/62/thumb1024_162_20200908_Alpine_Mindego_Lake_Hike.jpg)
![](/blogimg/64/thumb1024_164_20200908_Alpine_Mindego_Lake_Hike.jpg)
![](/blogimg/68/thumb1024_168_20200908_Alpine_Mindego_Lake_Hike.jpg)
Eventually we got to Mindego Lake for lunch. It was behind a couple of closed fences and next to a lot of cow "droppings":
![](/blogimg/71/thumb1024_171_20200908_Alpine_Mindego_Lake_Hike.jpg)
![](/blogimg/72/thumb1024_172_20200908_Alpine_Mindego_Lake_Hike.jpg)
![](/blogimg/75/thumb1024_175_20200908_Alpine_Mindego_Lake_Hike.jpg)
![](/blogimg/81/thumb1024_181_20200908_Alpine_Mindego_Lake_Hike.jpg)
![](/blogimg/86/thumb1024_186_20200908_Alpine_Mindego_Lake_Hike.jpg)
We then went to the Mindego Hill loop, which was supposed to have great views, but obviously not so much:
![ooops ooops](/blogimg/96/thumb1024_196_20200908_Alpine_Mindego_Lake_Hike.jpg)
ooops
![](/blogimg/90/thumb1024_190_20200908_Alpine_Mindego_Lake_Hike.jpg)
![](/blogimg/98/thumb1024_198_20200908_Alpine_Mindego_Lake_Hike.jpg)
It was then time to get back to the crowded parking lot where we left the car :) on the way down pagemill, found lots of turkeys:
![](/blogimg/99/thumb1024_199_20200908_Alpine_Mindego_Lake_Hike.jpg)
![](/blogimg/02/thumb1024_202_20200908_Alpine_Mindego_Lake_Hike.jpg)
![](/blogimg/03/thumb1024_203_20200908_Alpine_Mindego_Lake_Hike.jpg)