Today’s forecast is wonderful and we are on the trail by 8AM. We retrace our steps of two days ago and reach the base of the enormous basalt mesa.  It is going to take some serious rock scrambling on steep paths to get to the top of this thing.  This is not our favorite type of trail.  We pick our way up and reach the flat tabletop about 800 feet above the lake surface.  A three mile trail loops the top of the formation.  Views go from fantastic to amazing. Banks Lake is framed by the lichen painted coulee cliffs, dotted with rocky islands, and crisscrossed with rugged peninsulas graced with dozens of isolated bays.  We can see forever – probably really 100 miles.  We are reminded of the scale of it all when powerboats on the lake are just dots below us.

A peregrine falcon appears out of nowhere when he rises straight up on thermals off the shoreline cliffs at our feet. He eyes us but stays with the updraft until he goes out of sight.  A bald eagle passes below us.  It is pretty amazing to see them in flight from above.

We linger and take in the view.

Down was as un-fun as up but the view was worth it