South Twin Lake

When I was young I would read novels about sexy summer camps set on fabulous lake shores. Sensational scandals of murder and tipped canoes glimmered from the pages of my books. Looking up and out onto my own Cascade lake, I remember being bored. Maybe it was just that I was 13 and had spent the last half a dozen summers at South Twin.Looking back, I WAS living my own coming-of-age lake side novel. Minus the murder part, of course.There were the family fishing trips that grew into Youth Group BBQs.The scraped knees, ghost stories, and bruised egos. Under God and the stars little 12 year olds morphed into awkward young adults. In 1996 there was a wooden dock anchored halfway across the lake. I remember jumping in, escaping the first chill of Late August, and swimming with all my might to the dock. My best friend followed right behind me. We passed the platform and kept on, pushing through to the opposite shore. We landed and collapsed wordlessly on the beach. We had made it, the lake had transformed us. We went on to conquer the 8th grade.When I was 16 I would strap my Dad's john boat to the top of my Kia Sportage and haul loads of friends up here. We would blare Dave Matthews Band and feed the many Chipmunks. I don't remember having the time to swim, who does when you have things like cars and boyfriends.More recently the lake has been the backdrop for Mother's Days and Birthdays. The trail around the lake was my daughter's first hike and my first after abdominal surgery a year ago. I know it's only a matter of time until my daughter swims across the lake and into 8th grade as well.South Twin Lake is located 18 miles up South Century (Road 42). Follow the sign 1.9 miles down Forest Road 4260 to The Twin Lakes Resort.