Lost Lake

Seeking the elusive Oyster Creek Falls, I hiked up Fragrance Lake Road on Blanchard Mountain and past Blanchard Mountain Falls to the Lost Lake trail. About two miles along the trail, it forks with the left fork going to Lost Lake. The right fork leads to a logging road which would have taken me to the boot path to Oyster Creek Falls. I quickly encountered a sign (see picture) stating that the trail was closed 400' ahead. There was a huge clearcutting operation in progress. Based on the outstanding views of the Sound and the islands, it is likely that there will be a new development on the mountain soon. I tried to skirt the edge of the cutting operation, but encountered a steep gully. I backtracked to the Lost Lake trail and proceeded to the Lake. There were some great tiny waterfalls along the way, so I'm glad that I went. The trail is is good condition. There are a few easily-skirted muddy areas, but no blowdowns. I met three hikers and eight bikers on the trail, and there were ten cars parked at the PNT trailhead when I returned on Chuckanut Drive. The forecast of bad weather apparently failed to disuade other hikers in addition to me. This is a good 10-mile hike with over 2,000 feet of elevation gain. Having hiked to the Lake before from the North, I prefer coming from that direction and would recommend that trail to anyone who has yet to visit Lost Lake.