Rachel Lake

We got to the trail head at 10am and there were quite a few cars there already. We set out right away and made good progress. There were some bugs and it was really hot, but we didn't need repellent. The bugs got worse in the middle of the hike and better towards the top once the breeze came in. The trail was in good condition, still some water on the trail after the waterfall, which can make resistant shoes worth it. The lake was wonderful, we got there at noon and many people were swimming (bring your swim suit and water shoes!). We needed more water than normal due to the heat and long hike out. We finally broke down and syphoned out some water from the brook at the big rock - boy scout style - it tasted wonderful and got us to our car. So far so good. The trail overall was obviously heavily used and we saw many people on our way out. This hike is the only hike that takes me the same time in as out.