Lake Aloha: Desolation Wilderness

The storm was coming. I was in the middle of nowhere on a 3-day solo backpacking trip in Desolation Wilderness, CA, and all I could see above me were dark skies. I spent the whole day following a creek that led me to multiple lakes, the last one being Lake Aloha. It was clear for most of the day, but as the day went on, the winds picked up, and the clouds became dark. As I approached Aloha, it seemed like a big storm was about to erupt, and I was super nervous. I wasn't sure if I wanted to sleep here like I was planning, or if I wanted to abort the mission and make the trek back to my car. I was 6 miles from my car and could be there in about three hours. I would have to make part of the hike in the dark, and I was already tired from the day. After taking a little time to weigh my options, I decided I would do the brave thing and wait it out. So I put my jacket on, put all my backpacking gear in a safe place under a tree that would hopefully help keep it dry, and prepared for the worst. The wind blew hard, and the rain began to fall, "ok, here it goes," I said to myself. With every drop of rain, my heart pounded a little more. The crippling fear of, "how soaked am I going to get? How much am I going to regret coming out here?" I put my head down and I waited. Then it lightened, then stopped. The rain fell for maybe 15 minutes, and it was never worse than a heavy sprinkle. I could not believe it. I thought to myself, "wow, I can't believe I almost started walking back to my car for that." The storm passed, clouds parted, and I was greeted with one of the best sunsets I have ever seen. The sky exploded and the lake lit up, vibrant oranges and yellows unlike anything I could imagine. It all felt like a dream. I learned something that day that I will never forget. I had come to a fork in the road and was faced with a decision: should I run? Or should I take the bold route and wait it out? I chose the latter and was rewarded. As the Romans often said, "Fortune favors the bold."