Melakwa Lake. Photo by Forty-n-Eight.

Crowds abate once past Denny Creek's waterfalls--the hordes thinning to a respectable number of serious hikers looking for an alpine lake experience. And what an experience! The trail finally crests Hemlock Pass and descends moderately to Melakwa Lake, a broad alpine wonder with rocky slopes leading straight down into the crystal water. Those bright waters also reflect the craggy peaks that ring the lake: Chair and Kaleetan Peaks, most notably.

Hike up the trail as it rolls under the I-90 westbound viaduct to the Denny Creek waterslide at 1.3 miles. You'll pass Keekwulee Falls and Snowshoe Falls at 1.4 and 2 miles and will then climb the long, steep valley of Denny Creek. The path crosses the creek periodically and ambles through dense forest and across rocky avalanche chutes.

At about 3 miles the trail gets serious about climbing and weaves up a series of switchbacks to Hemlock Pass at 3.5 miles (elev. 4600 ft). The trail slides through the forested pass (yes, it's largely a hemlock forest), before dropping gradually over the next mile to the shores of Melakwa Lake.

Avoid walking though the fragile meadows as much as possible--there's enough rock and established trail that you won't need to further damage the already trampled heather and wildflower fields around the lake.