dryfj.com / drycyclist.com (kevin cook)

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Paradise Lake is small compared to Jackrabbit Lake.

05675-paradise-lake-800px.jpg Paperbag bush glowing in the sun (Salazaria mexicana) high on the fan above Watson WashThumbnailsParadise Lake sits in a private little valley at the bottom of a steep drop at the end of the road.Paperbag bush glowing in the sun (Salazaria mexicana) high on the fan above Watson WashThumbnailsParadise Lake sits in a private little valley at the bottom of a steep drop at the end of the road.Paperbag bush glowing in the sun (Salazaria mexicana) high on the fan above Watson WashThumbnailsParadise Lake sits in a private little valley at the bottom of a steep drop at the end of the road.Paperbag bush glowing in the sun (Salazaria mexicana) high on the fan above Watson WashThumbnailsParadise Lake sits in a private little valley at the bottom of a steep drop at the end of the road.Paperbag bush glowing in the sun (Salazaria mexicana) high on the fan above Watson WashThumbnailsParadise Lake sits in a private little valley at the bottom of a steep drop at the end of the road.

I finished the two litres of water in my Camelbak a while back on Red Creek Road. It's amazing how much one drinks in the heat. I get out my water filter and pump some water here, hoping that it tastes good.

The pump is even tighter than it was earlier and isn't providing much water. My patience runs out when my two-litre Camelbak is about three-quarters full and I give up pumping. True, I'll run out of water before I get back to camp, but I'll be close to home and there's plenty of water there.

I spend a few minutes walking around the area, and take note of a couple of spots that obviously serve as campsites.

Content with my discovery, I turn around and begin the three-mile walk back to Jackrabbit Lake.