Pinnacle Lake, Bear Lake — Saturday, Jun. 27, 2009

North Cascades > Mountain Loop Highway

What a great day to be in the Cascades! As has been previously reported the road to the trailhead for Pinnacle Lake and Bear Lake is closed. There is parking available for at least a dozen vehicles along the road near the concrete barrier. The road is in good shape with just a few big potholes. We are always thankful for 4 wheel drive, however we parked near a Honda minivan so you should be fine getting to this hike in just about any vehicle that you are willing to subject to dust and rock chips. Our GPS registered 1.25 miles from our parking spot to the official trailhead. It's an easy walk with the most daunting obstacle being the mosquitoes. The trail to Bear Lake is completely clear and mud free. We loitered for quite a while and enjoyed lunch with a beautiful view. We left Bear Lake at 12:30 and still had not seen any other hikers. The trail to Pinnacle Lake is a little tricky. Even though it is visible and easy to follow the footing is often complicated by roots and rocks and there are frequent blowdowns blocking the way. It seemed like every 50 yards we had to debate whether to go over, under, or around another tree laying on the trail. If you are looking for a relaxing stroll of a hike or a good place to carry a baby in a backpack this isn't it. If you're willing to put a little effort and are comfortable pushing aside limbs and doing the limbo on occasion then please don't let our description keep you from enjoying this attractive and private hike. We only went 1 mile along the Pinnacle Lake trail because we were pressed for time today so can not offer first hand information about the lake itself. We did talk to a couple on their way down the trail who said there was snow on the last legs of the trail and that the lake "is 95% frozen over."