There’s a weird sort of beauty about Folsom Lake in the winter, when the water levels drop. It’s possible to walk around on the lake bottom in areas that would normally be invisible, under several feet of water, and some of the landscape is a bit otherworldly.

I’ve been out to the Rattlesnake Bar area many times in the past, but normally I hike northward, to Avery’s Pond. This time, the Big Guy wanted to explore in the opposite direction, and that suited me fine. I found a lot of mud and what seemed like acres of dried burrs that grabbed onto my boot laces — but there was so much to explore that I’m already thinking about my next visit.