On a cool May morning I hiked in the Middle Grasslands with a goal to go around Island Lake, but also to visit the Grasslands Esker and the Long Lake viewpoint.

At about 1.6 km I arrived at the hilltop overlooking Long Lake.  

A helicopter flew in and filled a bucket of water from the lake, probably to douse a grassland fire.  

The area has been shaped by glaciers, with moraine ridges, kames, potholes, and eskers.

From the viewpoint I retraced my steps and then angled to go around the east side of Island Lake, passing by a number of small ponds.Island Lake is a large, shallow grassland pond in the bottom of the trench.

Grassland hills surround the ponds and Clapperton Ridge rises over the area to the north.  

On the north end of Island Lake the Grasslands Esker dams the lake, except for a small overflow runoff in spring.  

The esker is a long one, starting near Lac du Bois and winding down to Long Lake.

My route continued around Island Lake, winding through the grassy slopes.  

This is a favorite area, one that I hike 2-3 times every year, always done quietly, leaving no trace, witnessing the subtle beauty of the grasslands.  

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• My rating for this hike – [rating stars=”4.5″]