We are very fortunate to have a great training trail in my home town. The local Lafayette Reservoir has an undulating, lower paved trail at lake level, around the reservoir, where the majority of walkers are found. However, the five mile, upper “rim” trail runs around the ridgeline of the hills that create a bowl which contains the lake. Walking this ridge, the hiker encounters many, very steep hills. I begin that walk from my home outside of the reservoir’s bowl to make a very vigorous, eight-mile round trip hike. Although we hike many local trails, this is most convenient and probably the one that we hike most when not in the mountains. Below: Bandit on the trail with the reservoir in the distance. The rim trail circles around to include the ridgeline beyond the reservoir.
This reservoir has an interesting story. The tower seen rising out of the lake (below) was originally intended to mark the highwater level just under the cap. The reservoir’s dam was still under construction and as it was raised further, the existing foundational rock or ground under the new dam began to shift. Construction was halted, leaving a reservoir half the designed depth and the tower as a very visible landmark.
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