Myrtle LakeRecent Trip Reports
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Myrtle Lake
— Aug 21, 2011
— whitebark
Day hike
Features:
Wildflowers blooming
Issues:
Blowdowns | Mudholes | Water on trail | Bugs
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The Dingford Creek trailhead parking area was overflowing with cars by the time we arrived, but most hikers seemed to...
The Dingford Creek trailhead parking area was overflowing with cars by the time we arrived, but most hikers seemed to be headed toward Goldmyer Hot Springs. No doubt the current well-groomed condition of the mid fork road is attracting a lot of people here. We headed up the lonelier trail toward Myrtle Lake. This hike proved to be a long (5+ miles one-way) hike on a rough trail through lovely but largely viewless mid-elevation forest. Marshy Myrtle Lake is unspectacular, although the lake shore offers glimpses of a big granite cliff and snow-patched Big Snow Mountain - the great old-growth forest is the star of the show here.
A large number of blowdowns on the trail makes this hike a gymnastics exercise right now, although flagging along the trail suggests that a maintenance crew may be on the way soon. With all the blowdowns and generally rough and rooty nature of the trail, allow almost 3 hours to get to the lake. The area around the lake is very buggy, bring an ample supply of DEET. Day hike
Features:
Wildflowers blooming
Issues:
Blowdowns | Clogged drainage | Mudholes | Washouts | Water on trail | Bugs
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The trail along Dingford creek to Myrtle lake is drop-dead gorgeous. There were also many drop-dead blow downs on the...
The trail along Dingford creek to Myrtle lake is drop-dead gorgeous. There were also many drop-dead blow downs on the often muddy trail. The hemlock, cedar, doug fir forest is lovely. Tiny twayblade and coral root orchids along trail. Myrtle lake had about 30% snow and 70% bug cover (bugs weren't biting, just invading personal space). If heading to Hester lake, the trail junction is hidden by a large blow down. The small "3" mile marker is clue of the junction.
A pleasant surprise was the good shape of the road 56 to the trailhead. The road is recently graded with few potholes. Day hike
Issues:
Blowdowns | Snow on trail
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This week we returned to the Middle Fork Valley to take on a hike that has been on our list...
This week we returned to the Middle Fork Valley to take on a hike that has been on our list for years – Myrtle Lake via the Dingford Creek Trail. After our recent Rock Creek experience, we wanted to make sure we made it to our destination. We geared up for deep snow and headed up to the lake.
Myrtle Lake is the more popular of the trail’s two major destinations, the other being Hester Lake. Frequented mostly by backpackers and fishermen, the lakes don’t see a great deal of traffic. This is probably because, in addition to the trailhead’s relatively remote location, FR 56 is subject to higgledy-piggledy intermittent-and-frequent-enough-to-frustrate closures at the Taylor River - which adds another ten miles to the hike. This portion of FR 56 is slated to close for repairs this summer. Maybe these will make the trailhead more accessible in years to come. For the full report check out: http://www.hikingwithmybrot[…]a-dingford-creek-trail.html Jer
Dingford Creek, Myrtle Lake
— Oct 18, 2008
— silvermarmot
Day hike
Features:
Fall foliage
Issues:
Mudholes | Water on trail
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Mud and Mushrooms!
the first 3 miles to the junction is in fairly good shape. beyond that the trail to Myrtle...
Mud and Mushrooms!
the first 3 miles to the junction is in fairly good shape. beyond that the trail to Myrtle Lake is a giant sucking mudpit. On the plus side, the mushrooms are waking up and throwing off their blankets of dirt, pine needles and moss, putting on a spectacular show. Saw orange coral mushrooms and one white coral mushroom on a log, like a head of cauliflower. Sinister black mushrooms, even three scarlet red mushrooms. The forest on this trail is amazing, full of old trees, acres of moss and nurse logs, even an underground stream. There are quite a few glacial erratics (large boulders) scattered along the trail. Despite the mud, the trail is easy to follow and the lake quite pretty. I would NOT recommmend this hike earlier in the year, as the mosquitos must be ferocious, given the swampy lake shore and the mud. Note that the Middle Fork road is rather rough once you get past the Taylor River trailhead. Easily passable, but rough. Day hike
Issues:
Mudholes | Water on trail
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Tuesday is a good day to take a day hike to Myrtle Lake. The weather was acceptable, the Middle Fork...
Tuesday is a good day to take a day hike to Myrtle Lake. The weather was acceptable, the Middle Fork road is still a tooth rattler. I set off from Seattle at 8:30 and hit the trail by 10:30. It took me three hours to get the lake and 2 hours to get back to the car. On this trip the trail is at least as much of the attraction as the lake. While pretty, the lake is not that stunning. The trail on the other hand is amazing. Huge trees, Cedars, Doug Firs and Hemlocks. The trail condition is mostly great, but there were a couple of deep mud holes along the way. Surprisingly the bug population was not that high. Overall a great exercise excursion. |
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