Words and Photos Don't Do Justice

*Just giving fair warning - this post is photo heavy.

A little research and a stop at the ranger station had us heading to McLeod Lake on our second day in Mammoth. There were all sorts of good things being said about McLeod.

The trail was just over a mile round trip. I thought hiking it would be a piece of cake.

Throw in 1,000 feet of additional elevation, some snow packed trails, and constantly worrying about Marcus in the Kelty, and it might have bee one of the longest miles of my life. That's not to say it wasn't a pretty, long mile.

Marcus was so good during the whole trip. I would love to know what was going through his mind as we explored.

Growing up around lakes, and visiting Lake Tahoe, I figured, what's one more lake?
Then we saw it.

There really are no words to describe how unbelievably perfect the place was, and not even the photos do the place the justice it deserves.

It was like time stood still here. A place man hasn't come in and ruined with development and pollution.

Marcus' reaction to McLeod Lake was priceless. Watching him soak it all in was the best part of all.

I was worried Marcus would plunge right into the frigid water, but Little Man must have known how cold the water was. Marcus stayed just far enough away, but he didn't miss an opportunity to throw handful after handful of sand into the lake.

After a picnic lunch, a few (hundred) photos, and simply soaking up the scenery, we headed back down the mountain. On our way Marcus had his first real encounter with snow.

He had NO idea what to think about the white stuff. He'd step in the snow, poke at it, and point to it. He fell into a little pile and just put his hands up. It was all so foreign to him. Ha!

Leaving the mountain wasn't easy. A long weekend wasn't nearly long enough. My heart and soul are longing to go back.

*Once again, With exception of reducing some shadows in a few of the photos I did not alter the pictures or use filters. The place was *that* stunning.