Photo Monday: Rampart Lakes
![Image](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGccftAmoaqqj7DpeICg7eq3kQp50DJV7XrDgkRaBNEvFfKPyo7Fppn04aqqnwpx8Rknd_9bdj5nJRq60QXN2-p5X0MtWTeRL5eHy7D0hFYAZvU8MEBlMmVYbr-Zb5brSU57KzwAbR9QDJ3J7KVNcRbGsiQoY23pTZ6tUJ-ke-KBpwHVS14vpc1cnr/w640-h426/DSC01924.jpg)
Today we are back in the Alpine Lakes wilderness on a very special overnight pack trip I did in late September. Why special? Well, this was not only a return to a place I dayhiked 30 years ago and vowed to revisit on another fall day, but it was my first solo backpacking trip in nearly as long--since I married in 1994. More significantly, it was my first solo backpack since losing my husband. It was kind of a test, because solo hiking is something I need to be able to do, given how hard it is to find trail partners who are a good match. I've been doing some car-camping alone (in transit to places, for the most part), so I was pretty sure I'd be fine, and I was. Rachel, Rampart, and Lila Lakes The hike was a single night, about 5 1/2 miles in (and 2300' up) past Rachel Lake to Rampart Lakes. The big attraction is the fall color--mostly in the form of mountain blueberries and a couple of other bushes that turn pretty brilliant colors. The drive from Seattle is pretty short (a