Lake Constance Trail

Last Minute Decision

I had been holding a grudge for 10 long years. My husband and father-in-law played hooky without me to hike up to Lake Constance. Why would they go without me? I couldn't get the time off and when I asked them to wait until the weekend, they complained it would be too crowded. After the hike, they both claimed they would never go up that "(imagine foul language)" again. Both men had knee pain and the DOMS (delayed onset muscle soreness) that lasted 4 or 5 days.

For 10 years I have been begging my husband to go to Lake Constance with me. He finally agreed to hike "that damn trail" again. Our problem was I wanted to go that morning. He dragged his feet. I would find out why later that day. We finally left after 9 am. It was a 2 hour drive to the "new" trailhead.

Dosewallips Washout

We arrived at the end of the FS road 2610 with great hope. Heck, it would be 3 miles up the road to the Lake Constance trailhead, 2 miles up to the lake and then 5 miles back. 10 miles round-trip. Easy-schmeezy. Elevation gain around 4,000 feet. We've done far more without difficulty, so I thought.

Steve and I donned our packs, checked our bootstraps, chugged some water and ate a bit of food and we were off.
The new trail took us up and around the washout then back down to the remainder of FS road 2610. This forest service road is not slated for repair due to the lack of funding by our federal government to allow access to our public places. Has it been washed out 7 years or 8 years now?

The Hike Up

Did I mention we had to hike along a forest service road? For 3 miles? Holy Cow! I haven't done that in awhile. We were both ready for a break when we arrived at the Lake Constance trailhead. It was HOT (over 80 degrees), and our feet were burning from the road walking. The foot dragging at the beginning of the day did not help our situation, just allowed us to appreciate early morning hiking conditions far more.

After a brief rest for our feet and food for our stomachs, we prepared for the Lake Constance trail. Steve was laughing at this point. Was he delirious from our road walking in 80+ degree heat? or did he sense my doom?
We started our hike on the Lake Constance trail at noon. Within 15 minutes I was sure I was experiencing a cardiac issue. Steve laughed in the way only a husband who "just knew" we shouldn't do this hike on a hot day could do. After many fits of mini-cardiac arrest, breathing problems and the urge to empty my bowels, we found our (my) groove for the next hour. I remember roots, dirt, and the need to use my hands to pull myself up. At one point along the trail I encountered an adrenaline shot, a bee sting! Even under extreme physical duress, I was able to sprint up trail close to 100 yards to get away from the nest. Unfortunately, I had left a few items at the site of the attack. It was a nice spot for a break anyway. At this point, the only thing keeping me going was the temptation of a dip in the lake to cool off!

Lake Constance

After nearly 2 hours, we finally made it. No other souls around. Unfortunately, no animals as well. We did spot a few trout in the lake, but we also saw scum on the rocks in the lake. Ugh. No swimming in that lake unless you are desperate!

The Hike Down

It gets dark early on the Lake Constance trail. Although it was early afternoon, it felt much like we were fighting for daylight on the return trip. It took about the same time to go down as up. Very disappointing for me but with the steep slope, we needed to be careful. And the 3 miles on the FS road back to the car? It was no better the second time around. I hear people take mountain bikes up the road section. Sounds like a winner to me!

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