Minnesota Hiking Club #60 - Lake Louise State Park

Minnesota Hiking Club

#60 - Lake Louise State Park

Date Hiked: December 30th, 2024

Other Hikes That Day: None

Wanderloon Ranking System Score: 2.17

I'll freely admit that I wasn't even planning on visiting Lake Louise State Park on this day. 

It was only my third completed trail in the Minnesota Hiking Club booklet, though it wasn't my only hike that day. Completing an Adventure Lab in Austin, Minnesota had me wandering through the mist like a loon upon daybreak already. Another Lab nearby took me on a drive through several more small towns in the area, and when the final one was Le Roy, I thought it sounded familiar. 

At this point, my quest to finish the Hiking Club in one winter hadn't officially begun, so the state parks were not my solitary motivation for hiking-based travel yet. 

I started the Hiking Club with a visit to two parks on December 22nd, and both of them had open offices and friendly attendants to point out where the Passport stamp was. This was the first one where I realized that many of them, during this time of year at least, would have the stamp available at the kiosk because the office was closed. This was good to learn, considering many of the other entries in this travel series would've been far more difficult with different expectations. 

If it isn't apparent from my photograph selection, Minnesota was in a stretch of foggy days dense enough for air raid sirens and Pyramidhead sightings to be plentiful. 

Wandering alone through the woods in such conditions, much like days of snow and ice, takes on different vibes and characteristics than the park's summer counterparts. Fogbank solitude doesn't invoke the same memories as crystal lake water and green leaves fluttering in the breeze, but it would not be accurate to describe the visit as unmemorable either. Soft piano music and Centralia-esque feelings of being truly alone were very appropriate, for better and worse. 

Without spoiling yet what the previous two Hiking Club trail endeavors were at this point in my journey, they involved icy hills, longer miles, and stunning views. Lake Louise's Hiking Club trail, it's fair to say, was... not that. 

If it's convenient to the proximity of your starting location, this would be a good one to start on, especially if you're not an experienced hiker. It's a short, flat loop that shouldn't trouble most anyone on a stroll, and I'm not saying that as a detriment to the trail itself. Some who participate may like the more difficult terrain or longer treks in this club, while others may prefer the ones that are flat and easily completed. Everyone is at a different point in their experience as a hiker, so I speak only for myself without any shade cast. As well, I am certain hiking this trail in July is a drastically divergent endeavor than a foggy day in late December. 

But, had there not been a Hiking Club password to log and a spot on the map to highlight, it's likely I may not have remembered this trail at all minutes after leaving it behind.