Lake County Bucket List
Friday morning I sat in the sunny kitchen of my landlord, Tana Seeley, and signed over my apartment lease to my roommate. We were looking over some documents when I heard dogs barking and collars jingling outside.
The ruckus grew louder as what sounded like a pack of dogs ran toward the house. Seconds later a tiny girl wearing sneakers and a pink bathing suit burst into the kitchen.
“I was wondering if Isabel could come out and play?” she asked Tana in a very small voice.
Tana replied that she could, and after collecting some snacks the two girls and their respective pets were off to have summertime adventures.
That type of lovely childhood is something I’d only ever heard about, usually in my dad’s stories. I had a wonderful time growing up, but Philadelphia’s vast suburbia necessitated a fair amount of preparation; color-coded carpool schedules were a normal part of my childhood. As for bringing pets along on play dates? Only if you wanted to kill Fido. In my neighborhood, electric fences prevented dogs from running into the busy, nearby highways.
Lake County’s commitment to making their towns and neighborhoods safe enough for kids and pets to run free is just one of the reasons I’ve grown to love living here. And one of the reasons that makes it tough for me to leave. Two weeks ago I was offered a reporting position at a five-day paper in Maryland. I accepted the offer and am very excited for a new challenge and for being close to my family again. But leaving this place that I’ve grown to love is far from easy.
When I first arrived, I wrote about how impressed I was with the passion and intensity of people here. Happily, that initial impression proved correct. Folks in Lake County know what they believe in — whether it’s having a town safe enough for their kids to play freely, or fighting a perceived injustice, or raising funds for a project — and they aren’t afraid to stand up for those beliefs. I love that I’ve spent six months in a place where giving money and time to community projects comes as naturally as a friendly hello to a stranger.
I also wrote, when I arrived, that I was struck by the beauty of this county. Again, that has not changed. I’m still awed by the untamed, and highly accessible, beauty of Lake County. What has changed is my understanding of how “The Last Best Place” remains just that. The community effort to conserve is incredible, and it comes from all corners — professional scientists, school groups, concerned citizens. Everyone, I’ve learned, is involved. It’s only through dedicated effort that the lake, mountains and forests remain in their natural splendor.
That being said, I have to confess that over the last six months, I’ve spent most of my outside-time observing rather than interacting. I enjoy an afternoon in the park with a good book, just so long as the park bench is clean and I have lots of bug spray — and, preferably the park would have WiFi, of course.
In other words, I’m not what you would call “outdoorsy,” but with two weeks left in this gorgeous place, I decided I needed to change; I needed to make like a real Montanan and grab the bull by the horns.
The result: my “Lake County Bucket List.”
I didn’t get around to everything I hoped to do (and some stuff I chickened out on), but what I did do was pretty awesome. Some highlights:
Jump in the Lake
My concerns were numerous (bugs, slimy plants, un-chlorinated water, Nessie!), but last Thursday afternoon I put my reservations behind me and ran to the end of Ali’s dock. With Brandon, also a first-time lake jumper, by my side, I took the leap, and hit the water. It wasn’t as cold as I had anticipated, and it was perfectly clear. After swimming about 50 feet out from the dock, I paused. There I was, in the middle of one of the world’s most pristine lakes; in all 360 degrees was an incredible vista — one that made me feel peaceful, grateful and very small.
Take a Mountain Hike
About 45 minutes, and several miles, into the woods, I realized that “learn to read a map” should have preceded “mountain hike” on the bucket list. The goal was to hike up to Jewel Basin to complete bucket list item No. 3 — watch a sunset at Jewel Basin. Unfortunately, Brandon and I made a wrong turn and never made it there. When the defined trail ended, so did our sense of adventure, and we decided to book it back to the car before dark.
Watch the sun set at Jewel Basin
I was disappointed as we drove away from our (somewhat) failed hike. I’d heard that sunsets at Jewel Basin are epic, and I really wanted to capture one on film. As we turned a corner in the road I caught a glimpse of Echo Lake. The setting sun was bleeding reds, oranges and deep purples through the sky, all of which was reflected in the very still lake. The only movement came from the concentric ripples cast by the line of a lone fisherman. I’d found my photo-op.
Eat a flathead cherry and a huckleberry
The Flathead Cherry was delicious — ripe, flavorful — cherry perfection. The huckleberry was also wonderful. Although, for full disclosure, it was a huckleberry Slurpee (who wants to compete with grizzly bears?). But it was an excellent huckleberry Slurpee and I fully intend to buy another on my way out of town.
Thank you for everything, Lake County! Thanks for letting me attend your events, meetings and performances; for inviting me into your offices and homes; for sharing your knowledge and wisdom and — most of all — your stories.
Please keep in touch (lisa.h.broadt@gmail.com). I can’t wait for my return visit to Lake County.