When wife and I arrived at the parking lot at 9:30, the lot was almost full. As we were prepping, a ranger walked through the parking lot warning that a thunder and lightning storm was expected to roll through between 2 and 3 PM. We started up the trail at 10 AM.
The first couple of miles were relatively easy. The trail was busy, but not crowded. Due to the impending storm, we decided to detour to Bridal Veil Fall on the way down, if time and strength permitted. Shortly after the Bridal Veil turnoff, we encountered the rocks, the roots, the stairs, and the switchbacks for which the trail is notorious. Soaked with sweat, we reached the lake shortly after noon. After a little perusing and photography, we settled on Lunch Rock where we, um, well, ate lunch. While dining, two college-aged men dived into the lake. One joked, "That was my Ice Bucket Challenge." The other recorded a video of his Ice Bucket swim, including a videotaped challenge to several friends(?).
Finished with lunch, we left the rock at 1:30, and took a small detour to a lookout where I photographed the approaching storm. Tired legs and the rocky trail made the trek down nearly as slow as the trek up. We heard the first rumblings of distant thunder. We arrived at the Bridal Veil turnoff too tired to make the detour. More rumbling hastened us to our car. We reached the parking lot, and our car, at 3:30. The clouds were nearly overhead, and dark to the east.
Boots off and re-hydrated, we left the parking lot at 4 PM. But our journey wasn't over. Less than a mile down Highway 2, westbound traffic slowed to a crawl. It took over an hour to reach Sultan, where we stopped for dinner and hoped the traffic would lighten while we ate. But the rain held off -- only a couple drops hit the windshield near Zekesville.
Conclusion: don't spend hundreds of dollars on a Stairmaster when a $30 forest pass will give you a far more thorough workout. The serenity of the lake, and the amusement of the swimmers, is worth the effort.
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