Lake Serene
Nov 14, 2009
by
Raghu
—
last modified
Nov 14, 2009 06:25 PM
- Type of Outing
- Day hike
- Read More in our Hiking Guide
- Hike: Lake Serene - Bridal Veil Falls
- Region: Central Cascades -- Stevens Pass - West
- Agency: Mount Baker Snoqualmie National Forest - Skykomish Ranger District
- Trails: Lake Serene (#1068)
- Avg Rating: 4.48
- Be Aware Of
- Water on trail
- Snow on trail
Lake serene at the base of Mount Index
Due to recent snow showers, i decided that i was going to hike some place where the highest point of the hike was less than 3000 ft. Lake serene fitted very well here. I was happy that it took just an hour to get to the trailhead and not lot of travel on pothole roads.
The trailhead itself was dusted with snow. There were around 7 cars at 10:15 AM. The first 1.5 mile of the trail was easy, with not much snow. There was lot of snow, but less than an inch to cause any real problems. There were a few stream crossings but most of them could be handled with ease.
The last 2 miles of the hike had lot more snow. I was just using normal hiking boots, and during the hike i realized it was not enough. The last 1 mile of the hike had atleast a foot or 2 of snow. And some tough stream crossings too which were slippery. I somehow managed to reach the lake after some struggle in the snow. But the whole trail was surreal and had a heavenly feel with just black and white colors due to the snow. Fresh powdered snow has its own beauty and there are a very few things that can beat it in terms of beauty.
The lake was definitely calm, serene and extremely beautiful. The lake has started freezing around the edges, and there was lot of snow around the lake. Mount Index and the surrounding jagged peaks reminded me many times of Grand Teton. Washington is definitely a beautiful state with such awesome landscapes.
I spent about half an hour at the lake taking pictures and marvelling at those beautiful jagged peaks.
While coming back, i did a side-trip to Bridal Veil falls, which was actually quite good too. A waterfall in a snowy setting is always a treat even though the flow was quite low. The whole trip [including the falls] took me around 4:15 hrs. It was very slippery when coming down due to snow/ice.
If you plan to go to Lake Serene, take hiking poles for balance, and use good water proof and snow proof gaiters, expecting atleast 2 foot of snow at the last sections of the trail. Its definitely a fun hike :)
The trailhead itself was dusted with snow. There were around 7 cars at 10:15 AM. The first 1.5 mile of the trail was easy, with not much snow. There was lot of snow, but less than an inch to cause any real problems. There were a few stream crossings but most of them could be handled with ease.
The last 2 miles of the hike had lot more snow. I was just using normal hiking boots, and during the hike i realized it was not enough. The last 1 mile of the hike had atleast a foot or 2 of snow. And some tough stream crossings too which were slippery. I somehow managed to reach the lake after some struggle in the snow. But the whole trail was surreal and had a heavenly feel with just black and white colors due to the snow. Fresh powdered snow has its own beauty and there are a very few things that can beat it in terms of beauty.
The lake was definitely calm, serene and extremely beautiful. The lake has started freezing around the edges, and there was lot of snow around the lake. Mount Index and the surrounding jagged peaks reminded me many times of Grand Teton. Washington is definitely a beautiful state with such awesome landscapes.
I spent about half an hour at the lake taking pictures and marvelling at those beautiful jagged peaks.
While coming back, i did a side-trip to Bridal Veil falls, which was actually quite good too. A waterfall in a snowy setting is always a treat even though the flow was quite low. The whole trip [including the falls] took me around 4:15 hrs. It was very slippery when coming down due to snow/ice.
If you plan to go to Lake Serene, take hiking poles for balance, and use good water proof and snow proof gaiters, expecting atleast 2 foot of snow at the last sections of the trail. Its definitely a fun hike :)
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Mount Index and the other jagged peaks giving a Grand Teton feel.
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The trail in the last 1.5 miles was black and white with lot of snow..
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