Felt like giving myself the boot I did. No one should make the hike to Golden Lake as a day hike.

After a seven-mile trek the area cries out for setting up a base camp, exploring the alpine tarns, laying back underneath the star-filled skies and enjoying the solitude.

From 6,600-foot Golden Lake the summits and glaciers of Broken Top and the Three Sisters seem close enough to touch. A mile above are two beautiful tarns hidden in the volcanic rock, except this time the two lakes were empty when I arrived.

I hiked back to Golden Lake, broke out a snack and marveled at the spectacular views. Amazingly enough, I hadn’t seen another person the entire day.

Golden Lake in the Sisters Wilderness, like Warm Lake in Goat Rocks Wilderness, is why we hike and explore the wild places.