Mildred Lakes — Friday, Jun. 19, 2015

Olympic Peninsula > Hood Canal

I hiked the Mildred Lakes Trail three times this past summer of 2015. My first time in June, 2nd time in beginning of August, and 3rd time end of August. All three times I've brought along my 3yr old Belgian Malinois Aspen. Starting with the road: Follow US 101 North (unless you are coming from the Port Angeles direction) to Forest Road 25 (FS 25). Forest Road 25 is well marked, you shouldn't miss it. If you use Google Maps and search Lena Lake, it will send you in the right direction. Regardless, turn onto Forest Road 25. You'll follow it for several miles until the road forks and you will STAY RIGHT. Follow the signs towards Lena Lake Campground. Lena Lake Campground can be busy in summer time as it is a very easy hike (more like a walk) so travel slowly as you pass by cars as not everyone obeys leash laws on dogs. A few miles past Lena Lake trail head, you'll pass by the Carl Putvin hike. Keep going on FS 25. The road turns from paved to dirt/gravel, so be careful. Once you hit the dirt/gravel, it's 6 miles roughly to the Mildred Lakes trail head. You'll know when you get there because you cross a bridge and the parking lot is the end of the road. Make sure you have your Northwest Forest Pass (can get at station in Hoodsport). Discovery Pass is no good in Olympic National Forest. Now you are here, let's talk about the hike: Mildred can be done as a day hike, but as soon as you get up there, you'll regret not staying because it's beautiful. I've seen people day hiking with 1 water bottle. Do not be that person. You are risking a lot if you are unprepared. The hike, for an average person who has never been up to Mildred before, will take roughly 4.5 hours including breaks. Depending on the weight of your overnight pack and your conditioning, you could be looking at 6+ hours. Not trying to scare you, just be prepared and know your abilities going in. This means you need to plan for how much daylight you have. This is not a trail you want to try and follow at dusk or in darkness unless you are an experienced hiker with companions and multiple light sources. The footing and terrain is dangerous and you could easily slip and roll your ankle and become stranded/injured. Daylight is best, especially for the first time. The first time I did this hike with my dad (55y/o) and brother-in-law we took roughly 5.5 hours up and 4 hours down getting all the way to the 3rd lake (largest of the 3 lakes). We got turned around a few times from the trail as it's not the easiest to follow. The second time up I took a friend who was new to hiking and we took nearly 7 hours to reach the 3rd lake. The third time up I brought a different friend and it took 4 hours to get around the 3rd lake and under 3 hours to get all the way back, but we were flying with no breaks. Hopefully this gives you perspective. All of our hikes were done with 35-45 lbs of gear (fishing equip., first aid, food, water, tent, sleeping bags, etc.). The second you are unprepared you are risking your safety. Ok, ok, to the actual hike: Climb out of the parking lot will get your heart pumping immediately. Stop and sign in so Search & Rescue can find you in the event of an emergency. Also, let other family/friends know your plans. The trail flattens a bit after a few minutes and you will venture through a heavily wooded forest for roughly 30-45 minutes depending on your pace. It's not bad at all. If this part is too much for you, please stop, turn around, and go to Lena Lake trail head. Seriously, you'll hurt yourself. After the heavily wooded, "enchanted forest", you'll come to a meadow clearing, likely due to previous mudslide/avalanche. Cross through the meadow and back into the forest where it gradually turns left and heads uphill. You should see a large tree/log on the ground to your left. Continue up hill for about 20-30 min until you reach the first plateau. Be careful not to venture off to the right and lose the trail, but there is a nice view point there. From the first plateau, the trail snakes downhill mostly to your right. If you stop and listen, you should hear a creek and running water. Head downhill to the creek. Now, you should be on the left side of the creek. This is a nice rest stop for those of you who are huffing and puffing. Continue along the left bank of the creek until you see a natural log crossing. Be careful, as dew/moss/rain can make this slippery and it's about an 8 foot drop into the shallow creek. Once you cross the creek, STOP. Gather your bearings as the trail is not very clear cut here. The ribbons can be misleading. Look at the ground and marks for worn paths. Essentially, the trail starts veering to the right and uphill, wrapping around the side of the hill. You'll know your on the right track when you come to the infamous root wall. It's steep, but actually very technically easy. Just take your time and keep three points of contact at all times (foot, hand, hand or foot, foot, hand). Warning: If you have a dog with you, this may be the one difficult part. Make sure you go first so you can help them down. Once you go down the root wall, go up the other side. It's much easier than the first part. From here, you'll begin the most rigorous part of the trail as you will climb difficult rocks, roots, etc for an hour or more depending on pace. But, this is the last plateau you need to conquer. Just keep your head down and focus on footwork, one step after another and you'll make it. There's a false plateau about 3/4 of the way up that's flat and a nice natural resting area and good vantage point. From here, kick it in gear as the beautiful lakes await! Once on top of the 2nd plateau, the trail will naturally want to take you to your right to an overlook. This can lead you off the trail. Stay left and descend downhill towards the lakes. You won't be able to see them, but you'll cross through some marsh areas where you'll see small ponds, etc. Keep going, descending all the way to the 1st lake. Follow the trail left of the 1st lake. You'll snake your way left around the 1st lake. Depending on water level, in later summer you can save time and walk along the shoreline. You'll see a ledge on the 1st lake, a nice open area where you could jump in, camp, etc. People have camped here before but IMHO I wouldn't for several reasons. 1) You didn't come this far to not get to the 3rd lake (biggest), and 2) Everyone coming along the trail will walk through your camp. From this ledge at the 1st lake, you have two choices. Continue following the left side of the 1st lake and the trail will lead you to the 2nd lake in about 5-10 minutes. The 2nd lake (from talking with other Anglers) is supposed to be home to some 16+in brook and cutthroat trout. If you want to see true beauty and want a little bit more of a workout since Mildred Lakes was too easy for you, head left on the trail head from the ledge overhang. You'll get one more section of uphill (5 minutes worth) and then you'll start to see the 3rd lake in about 10 minutes. Natural tent sites are fairly abundant if you shop around. It's a large lake so if you are looking to be isolated and away from the other 10 hikers who conquered the beast, then the 3rd lake is the best for you. Dip the sore feet and legs in the Alpine Lakes and enjoy some fresh trout! If you fish, I've had success with 6-8 lb. line, standard Shimano spin casting with yellow rainbow rooster tail, powerbait, nightcrawlers slowly trolled with a small amount of weight. No campfires are allowed up here since it's above the Alpine altitude limit. So prepare accordingly. All in all, it's an awesome hike if you like some outstanding trout and a killer workout while not being annoyed but screaming kids and loud music from neighboring campers. Mildred Lakes is not for the faint of heart. So lace your boots up (no sneakers if you don't want a snapped tibula) and go to work!