The BrothersRecent Trip Reports
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Overnight
Features:
Wildflowers blooming
Issues:
Blowdowns | Overgrown | Snow on trail | Bugs
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Arrived at the Lena Lake trail head Friday evening and made it to camp in due time. Along the way...
Arrived at the Lena Lake trail head Friday evening and made it to camp in due time. Along the way we were inquiring about reports of The Brothers, trying to learn the condition of the trail. About half a mile out of camp we ran across a pair who had made the summit and told us there was a lot of snow to traverse. My climbing partner ended up jogging back to the trail head to retrieve the crampons while I set up camp.
We started out just after 6am on Saturday, making it through the Valley of the Silent Men to the climbers camp in about an hour. The path is mostly discernible, there were some sections where it took us a few minutes to find the next section -- some overgrowth, one avalanche field just out of the woods -- but it was certainly not impossible. Once we broke fully out of the forest there was a quick scramble up alongside the river bed that led us on to the snow field the hikers had told us about. We stayed right on the rocks off the snow as long as possible, then donned our crampons and scaled the 500-600 yard snow field. Past the snow field we found a stream coming down and filtered some water there. I have to say that it was the best water I have ever tasted. Here we kind of lost the main trail, but found several markers that ended up taking us a little too far east past the main chute that is the primary route. We made it to about 200-300 feet beneath the summit and I had to stop. My partner did end up making the summit and we met back up about halfway down the main chute (the correct route). trails.com has a trail guide that talks to this, "Climbing Washington's Mountains -- The Brothers". I highly recommend this. Pay attention to the part where it describes the chutes. This was the first time I have done anything like this. I have hiked, sure, but not on anything over a couple-thousand feet. Even have not made the summit this will go down as one of my favorite adventures. The variety of terrain was challenging and left a great sense of accomplishment. Not making the summit means I have a good reason to go back and do it all again! Day hike
Issues:
Mud/Rockslide | Snow on trail
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Started at Lena Lake trail head. Got at the trail head at 7am. Summit by 1:30 and back at the...
Started at Lena Lake trail head. Got at the trail head at 7am. Summit by 1:30 and back at the car by 6pm.
The route was in great shape until about the tree line. Except there was one spot shortly after leaving Lena Lake where the trail was washed out. At the tree line the route becomes difficult to follow. Stay to the left when you come to your first opening and look for a piece of flag/tape taking you back into the trees for a bit. At the next opening do the same thing. I actually was off trail for a while but made it back to a snow filled gully where people had been hiking up and sliding down. This lead me all the way to the top and the route was easy to navigate from there. Day hike
Features:
Wildflowers blooming | Ripe berries
Issues:
Blowdowns | Overgrown | Mud/Rockslide | Washouts | Snow on trail
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Lena Lake clear and busy to Lower Lake on this overcast but warm and dry day. There were lots of...
Lena Lake clear and busy to Lower Lake on this overcast but warm and dry day. There were lots of people of all ages and abilities, kids & dogs galore.
Other trip reports describe this trail in detail, so I'll focus on Valley of the Silent Men. Once you reach Lower Lena, follow the signs to The Brothers, crossing the bridge across Lena Creek at the end of the lake. Keep left at the fork to The Brothers (actually there are two trails to the left; take the one closest to the sign). The trail climbs a little and follows Lena Creek to some incredibly pretty falls. The trail again goes up after this point and becomes sketchier. There is an eroded part where the tread is down to one foot-width, but there are roots to grab. Trail continues following the creek and trees get bigger and bigger, but don't get allured to the point you forget to watch the trail, which disappears beneath a section of blowdowns about 20' across, then picks up again. Then it gets fun because there's a big slide area, with snow maybe 2' deep under the packed debris. Trail? Who knows where it is. There are some orange ribbons indicating a possible re-route. Your best bet here is to keep as close to the creekshore as you can. You'll get back to the trail eventually. Because my husband and son had waited back at the first pretty waterfall (about a mile up from the lake), I only went another mile into the obstacles and then headed back. We saw no one after leaving the lake. On a Sunday. Of a holiday weekend. When it was warm and dry. WTA - please help!!! This trail needs your TLC; schedule a crew and I will surely sign up if I can (after all, there are downed trees). :) Pics at: http://www.flickr.com/[…]/
Lena Lake, The Brothers
— Jul 01, 2011
— Zachary Oliver
Overnight
Issues:
Blowdowns | Clogged drainage | Mudholes | Washouts | Water on trail | Snow on trail
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The Lena Lake trail is clear and wide open all the way to its end at Lower Lena Lake and...
The Lena Lake trail is clear and wide open all the way to its end at Lower Lena Lake and the junction with The Brothers Trail. Patchy snow appears on The Brothers Trail between 2,200 and 2,300 feet but all-in-all it's easily navigable to Lena Forks.
The Brothers
— Jun 27, 2011
— Gr8Scot
Overnight
Issues:
Washouts | Water on trail | Snow on trail
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Posting this a little late but I wasn't near a computer with my WTA password.
Did an overnight at Lena Lake...
Posting this a little late but I wasn't near a computer with my WTA password.
Did an overnight at Lena Lake so I could do the Brother's trail the next day. Lena Lake is super clear. Lake has slightly flooded the shores but there are still plenty of non-flooded campsites. The Brother's Trail was awesome. I am surprised that not too many people comment on it. I did it on a Monday and didn't see a single person. Doesn't look like it is heavily traveled so maybe that is why no one comments on it. Hit one spot early on that was difficult to navigate, would have been real difficult with a full pack. This is a spot where the trail is washed out. A steep footpath skirts around the washout. Doable, just be careful, especially if you are hiking solo. The rest of the trail is in good shape for a lightly used trail with the following two exceptions. The middle portion of the trail has about 100 yards where it is kind of a stream but ok if you have good waterproof boots. The first of the 3 bridges has a missing section of railing. All of the rest of the trail is fine. I was stopped about a 1/4 of a mile from the end because of a steep, narrow ledge that was covered in snow and mud. It looked slippery and a fall would put you in a 15' deep water filled gorge. Doing a solo hike on a Monday and on a seldom used trail made me think the ledge was a bad idea so I will have to go back when the ledge melts - maybe the end of July. I hit snow when I was about 1/2 mile from the end of the trail but the snow was no big deal if you are careful of breaking through. If you haven't taken this trail before you might want to consider it. Beautiful old growth(?) and quiet forest. So many waterfalls that I stopped taking pictures of them all. |
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