Bellas Lake located in Copper Basin has become a regular hike for us whenever we go to Idaho. We know the trail (3 miles there and 3 miles back), 2000 feet increase of elevation, there is almost no one at the lake when we get there, and it is usually some fun fishing (if you can figure out what they want to bite)! Additionally, the dog (all dogs) seems to enjoy it. She gets to run around like she is crazy, swim in streams, chase squirrels; overall, just a dog-gone good time on the way up. Once we arrive at the lake, the fun doesn't stop. She gets to rest and eats some snacks while we eat our lunch. And then while we fish, she gets to run around more and swim like there is no tomorrow. We have to admit, when you spell it out like that, how could it not be fun?!
Here is one of the meadows on our way up to the lake...
Indy is looking back at us and wondering why it is taking us so long. We point out to her that she has 4 legs and we only have 2 legs per human. That doesn't seem to satisfy her. :) Note how she is at least smart enough to wait in the shade while we catch up.
Jared and Indy on the trail! What a twosome?
Again, Indy is waiting for us...she has to wait longer for us this time. We are on the steep part of the trail and it just takes longer. We are almost there, but she doesn't know that.
This sign speaks for itself...
Indy has to be tied up for a while. We try to get some fishing in BEFORE she dives into the water. Except it turns out that she is a good dog and will wait for us to tell her it is okay to jump into the lake (we didn't know that until this hike).
Beautiful Bellas...
Another shot...doesn't it make you want to say, "ahhhhhh"?
A favorite spot for Indy...she and Logan loved to play here...
Indy waiting on the bank. Like I said earlier, we can tell her to wait and she will stay on the bank while we fish the hole. After we catch enough fish, or figure out there are no biting fish, then we let her go into the lake for a swim.
And here she is swimming...man, this dog can swim and swim and swim. She even jumped off a rock and went completely under, bounced back up and continued to swim to her heart's content.
Kristina had a GREAT day of fishing! She caught more than 7 fish. As is usual, she was fishing with a panther martin. She tried her favorite rock when we first arrived, but she couldn't get anyone to commit and bite. So she started walking around the lake with Indy. On this rock, she caught the majority of her fish.
She is pulling one in here. Indy is very interested, but note that she just stands on the rock with Kristina. The fish intrigue her, but she doesn't want to go after them. She thinks it is interesting that we pull them in and then let them go and then they swim away.
Here is Kristina with one of her fish. She caught mostly cutthroat trout and good sized ones too. There was one that was a rainbow cutthroat hybrid.
And she is trying to climb the tree in this picture...
Indy cooling off the feet on our way down from the lake...
It was a good day. We all agreed it was the BEST day of the vacation!
