Danny Choi

Lost Lake at Seymour Valley

Based on the exhilarating bike ride on the Seymour Valley Demonstration Forest trail and a detour into the remote, beautiful Lost Lake, I associate this piece with some great memories. Glistening in a quiet peace, Lost Lake—also known as Rolf Lake—is calm and warm in the summer. Not many people know about it, so it is easy to find yourself alone, surrounded by beautiful nature, isolated from humanity. Back in high school, I would bike up to Lost Lake with one of my best friends Masanori Miyanabe, we'd have music playing off a bluetooth speaker as we biked against the cool air under the hot sun. Powering through uphill stretches with the reward of gliding downhill, when we would finally make it to the lake, we would put our bikes down by the bushes—no locks, no security—and we would make our way down the rough logs towards the tiny strip of land suitable for basking in the sun, snacking, and maybe even swimming. In order to beat the sunset, reluctantly, we would mount our bicycles once again and find our way back to the Seymour Valley trail, where we would enjoy the evening ride home. -D.I.D. Choi