Hamma Hamma campground to Lower Lena Lake: 10 mi. RT, 1,450 foot gain.
I’ve done this hike many times, but never in the snow. WOW!!!! It’s fantastic! It was snowing as we left Dosewallips SP but 101 was only wet. A couple miles up the Hamma Hamma/FS 25 road, wet changed to compact snow with some powder on top. We decided to park at the Hamma Hamma campground as my friend’s Rav4 started slipping where you turn right up towards the trailhead. This added 2 miles each way but gave us a better chance of arriving in one piece. The hike up the road to the trailhead was beautiful and would make a nice snowshoe trip if the road was really bad. It follows the Hamma Hamma River which was rushing along and the snow looked so pretty drifting softly from the sky, coating firs and cedars so the green and white contrasted with the red Cascara by the roadside.
There was one car at the trailhead but we did not encounter these hikers until we’d arrived at the lake. The way up we had all to ourselves in an icicle wonderland you wouldn’t believe. There is one cave full of ‘cicles maybe 2/3 of the way up the trail. Photos can’t do it justice. With snow falling hard and temps in the upper 20s-low 30s, we slogged up the switchbacks. Trail is in great shape. We made it easily in boots only, though I brought my microspikes in case.
We made it to picnic rock by 11 but couldn’t think of a better place for lunch so succumbed early to frozen Cliff bars, peanut butter & honey. The snow was falling so heavily it at times you couldn’t see the far shore of the lake, then would slow enough to see the hillside beyond. The lake had about 4” of ice but we did not trust walking on it as there were some melty spots by the shore. We followed the lake trail a ways to get some views from the shore but it was really coming down with 2-3” accumulated since we’d started so we started worrying about getting out.
We spoke with two men who had gone a ways up The Brothers trail. Snow deepens significantly after Lower Lena; bring snowshoes to go beyond the lake. The trail was gorgeous going down with the fresh snow. We saw two more men coming up as we were headed out (this was maybe 1 p.m.; we parked just after 9). That was it in terms of people, so definitely a great day for relative solitude on a usually slammed trail.
We had a bit of trouble getting out since the snow was starting to melt out lower down, leaving a couple inches of slush over the base of compact snow and ice. The road turned, but neither my friend’s Rav4 nor my Prius (which had not had an issue until this) did – they bowed to Newton and continued merrily straight on into the woods. I was able to stop less than a foot before running into my friend’s car, which got smashed in the front right. We were able to get out fine (me without a scratch) but boy did that perk up the senses. We were going about 8 to 12 mph on that road or it would have been much worse. I highly recommend this as a hike or snowshoe where it’s overcast since the beauty of the hike is in the woods and water – no need for clear skies. But be careful!!!
More photos at http://www.flickr.com/photos/51278183@N05/sets/72157626164266742/detail/
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