Trip Reports

My friend C called me Thursday morning to get some hiking ideas, since her mom is in town. It turns out that we had the week off due to parent teacher conferences (woo hoo for half-day kindergarten!) so we could join them. We hurriedly threw a bunch of stuff together, and we were out the door up the Mountain Loop Highway by 11:45. We chose Boardman Lake since it was easy and beautiful yet enough of a hike to be worth the drive. C hadn’t been there yet, but this was our third trip this year. It was pretty cold at the trailhead, and we layered everyone up and hit the trail. One of the kids was crying in the first minute due to a large stick being confiscated; then they said they wanted to go home and didn’t want to walk. But that quickly passed, and everyone had a pretty good attitude the rest of the trip.

There was a lot of water on parts of the trail, and some mud in a few places, but nothing too much for little feet to handle. The next-to-youngest hiker, age 2, was able to make it the whole way up to the lake under his own power (he went in the pack for most of the trip down). The kids marveled at the fungi and big mossy trees. In brief moments between chatter I was impressed again by how still this forest is, how deep the quietness is. The only wildlife we experienced was a squirrel in the distance chirping an alarm call. There were a few huckleberries hanging doggedly to the bushes; C tried them and said they were waterlogged and not tasty at all. The only fall color was some of the bunchberry bushes showing red near the lake, and some other brownish yellow bushes. Otherwise the forest was still pretty green and lush.

The level of the lake was up quite a bit since we were there in the summer. We stayed at the lake for about an hour. We managed to keep the kids from getting too wet, while letting them throw rocks and sticks. (That was one of the big incentives to keep the two-year-old moving up the trail.) The sun came out briefly while we were resting and snacking. There was snow on the ridges surrounding Boardman Lake – no wonder it was so chilly! Soon it was time to get up and head back down to the cars, so we would not run out of daylight. Grandma was a big help keeping the kids on track and moving along. It sure is nice to have an extra set of hands. We made it back down the road in time to see some beautiful light from the viewpoint at the quarry. All in all, it was a great day to be out and I am so grateful we got to join our friends on this unexpected trip. I’m really proud of all our hikers; they have had some good experience this year.

Dicentra and I took our kids out to Boardman Lake today. I had been there a few years ago earlier in the spring when there was still snow on the road and trail and the lake was only partially melted. I have been wanting to go back ever since, since I had fond memories of that trip. Today the trail and lake were all melted out. There are some large trees down over the trail that required some flexibility and balance to get over, especially with a kid on one’s back. There were all these tiny little flies that would swarm round our heads, even getting in our eyes. I think we may have been bit a few times, but they weren’t too voracious, just pesky. There were a few mosquitoes out, too. The trail is wet in places, and has some mud patches, but overall it is in pretty good shape. Flowers are all around, including bunchberry, false lily of the valley, and several groups of coralroot. We saw some interesting plants at the lake; a few of them we could not identify. The FS info sheet says there are rare plants in the basin; we hope we can come back again some day without the kids and explore more with our flower guides in hand.

The kids did a really good job on this hike. It was just about the right distance for this day; 1.6 miles round trip, with 200 feet elevation gain. Gabriel named one tree the Claw Tree due to its clumps of dead branches. He found a large stump to peek underneath. We saw lots of fungus, including some orange cup fungus. We admired lichens, mosses, berries, flowers, sticks, and bird songs. I was proud of Gabriel for tackling some stretches of trail that seemed difficult to him. I kept coaching him to take it easy and just make one step at a time (over rocks, down tree root staircases, etc.) What a big difference this was even from last fall. He truly was a joy to hike with today. Annika was a trooper in the pack, hardly making a peep. When I let her down at the lake, she made a beeline for the water and I couldn’t keep her away the whole time we were there. She picked up rocks and splashed in the water. Hopefully she won’t get giardia! She would have crawled right in if I had let her. Maybe this summer we’ll go back on a nice warm day and wade. There is a good beach at the outlet stream for playing in the water. Dicentra’s daughter Maddy had a hard time staying out of the water, too, and got wet, as well.

We got rained on but had some sun breaks. My favorite part was the sound of the silence in the forest along the trail. The forest there is just wonderful. I had a great time, and I can’t wait to go back.

The road and trail are clear to Boardman Lake. Only one blowdown. The gnats are out and will swarm around your face but they don't seem to bite. It was partly cloudy and damp, but the old growth trees are nice and lots of deer fern, wood fern and vanilla leaf. Saw a party of three coming down the trail are we were ascending. They reported sighting a black bear near the trail. Nice little lake and hike for a short trip and lunch, or with kids.

Road was snow covered about 3/4 mile before the TH. Which turned out to be good because the best views were from the road near the quarry. Also, the trail itself is less than a mile so an extra 1.5 added to the round trip is a non-issue. Once off the road and into tree cover, the trail was mostly snow free. Both Evan and Boardman were almost completely snow covered (duh, it's not even May yet). There was an alarming amount of what seemed to be fresh trash at Boardman. Two blow-downs that are barely worth mentioning cross the trail. An easy early season hike even with the added mileage.

Snow blocks the road about a mile before the Boardman Lake trailhead. The snow is not deep and you could probably get through if you had a four-wheel drive vehicle. We didn't like the possibility of spinning out in the slush and getting a wheel off the road since it is quite steep there -- plus it was pleasanter to walk up the road. However, just before we reached the trailhead, a black bear came up on the road and then saw us and crashed back down through the brush. A cloud had moved down the mountain soaking us and making the atmosphere very spooky so we decided to call it a day. Many trees down and partially across the road.

Myself and four others(one was our dog) decided to go on a mid-day hike up to Boardman Lake(Mt. Loop Highway). This hike is a favorite of ours because it's only a mile long, there is a lot of old growth, animals( we saw a small black bear on the service road to the trail head so watch out) and although it's an easy hike it's a lot of fun. Anyways, there is hardly any snow, a few small patches once you get closer to the Boardman Lake. The camp spots look nice and the lake was completely thawed. There were bugs once we reached the lake. other than that this is a perfect first hike for anyone who wants to experience the outdoors.

I parked my car at the start of the real snow on the road to Boardman lake, just a bit before the junction with the road to Bear/Pinnacle/Ashland lakes. Good clearance vehicles with snow tires or studs were making it almost two miles further, up to the second quarry shown on the maps of the area. Nobody has driven past that quarry recently.

Daisy the wonder dog and I walked the road portion of about 2.5 miles in two lazy hours. We had some nice views from the open area at the second quarry. The footing was firm but with a slippery base, due to the hard crust on the snow beneath a thin surface layer. Traction devices on my boots really helped, as the screw heads on my Stabilicers bit into the hard crust of the snow. They weren't absolutely necessary, but they did help in eliminating the occasional slippage that occured before I put them on.

We took a long break at Evan lake, which was solidly frozen-over. Someone had crossed the lake on the ice with no apparent cracking. I stood on the ice near the shore and jumped up and down with no effect on the ice. So I let Daisy play some fetch out on the lake.

Then we did the trail hike to Boardman lake, which was nice. There are some really big trees, lots of snow, and the lake is a decent sub-alpine pond with some surrounding peak-lets. Not really a great summer destination, when the trail is less than a mile of hiking and other, better places abound. But in the middle of winter it makes for a pleasant dayhike. I didn't use the Stabilicers on the way back, as the snow crust had softened slightly, giving my boot tread some bite.

Trip stats are: 7 miles R/T, from about 1/3 mile before the road junction, to Boardman lake. 1,200 ft elevation gain/loss, 95% snow-covered, slippery if it's really cold out. Started at 11 am, finished at 4:30 pm.

I went to the trailhead for Boardman Lake to scout it out for a future trip. Contrary to the info on the Forest Service web site, there is no more snow at the traihead. The lakes are both thawed out. The road is on good condition for the most part. There are a few large trees down over the road that have been cut through enough for one car to pass.

I didn't hike to Boardman Lake since I was alone with my toddler son. We had lunch at Lake Evans. There are a few wet spots in the brush where you can sit, and maybe even camp if you aren't too picky. There were a few bugs out, but not too bad, yet. I talked with a couple who were coming off the trail. They said the snow is mostly gone at Boardman Lake except for a tiny part at the far end. The trail is in good shape, though there is one large tree down near the lake that was tricky to get over since it is on a hillside and is sloped and slippery. It would be tough to get around it, they said.

It was so still and peaceful there, especially after everyone else left. I look forward to returning in the future.

Hey all,

Went to Boardman lake as a good short hike and nice mountain lake. The work to get there is minimal(less than a mile), which suited my purposes fine, seeing as I had a banged up shoulder. I actually camped at the lake and found the bugs to be so unpleasant that I had to pace up and down the shore in order to enjoy staring at the lake. A light rain offered the only salvation from the little beasts. I saw a young black bear female and two of her cubs on the trail. They were in a nice meadow that seemed to invite bear-types into them. They ran away from me pretty quickly, however, and I couldn't see much else of them. For those looking for a very easy walk with a big pay-off as far as scenery goes, Boardman lake is tough to beat. For more hearty adventures, go elsewhere in the Cascades. Nice campspots at the lake and good trail conditions.

Dad, two daughters, one son and Fiona the dog went off for a hike at Boardman Lake (mom had to work). The Boardman Lake trail was a nice walk through the forest. We ate lunch at the lake while enjoying the orange bellied newts swimming around in the lake. After cleaning up our lunch we decided to go swimming and dive off the rocks. It was delightful for a moment. Then the lovely Brenna stepped on someone's garbage - sharp garbage in the water and cut her foot. Thanks to help from other hikers who aided with treating the foot, Brenna and family left the lovely swimming hole for the hospital. Four hours and seven stitches later there will be no hiking or swimming for the next 10 days of summer.

Words of caution: Carry a good first aide kit, wear water shoes and ""if you pack it in pack it out.""

I was going to take my sons backpacking, but with doubtful weather we opted for a hike instead. Even with the rain we found a half dozen cars at the trailhead and a family camping at Lake Evan a little way in from the trailhead.

This trail leads about a mile through old growth redcedar and makes a good rainy day hike. The trail is in great shape, with only a few puddles on a day with heavy rain. It is about a mile to Lake Boardman, making this a perfect all-ages hike. My younger son Ben is four, and he needed very little assistance.

We found some Alaska huckleberries (ripe, but a bit tart) near Lake Boardman, which features a nice gravel beach. The trail to the campsites crosses a stream outlet on a log, and looked too dicey for Ben since it was wet and slippery.

Nice short hike to two small mountain lakes. A little mud and a little snow, but nothing to worry about. One blowdown about halfway to Boardman Lake, but it broke during the fall and can be navigated. Evan Lake has completely thawed, but Boardman Lake is still 3/4 frozed. A log jam has flooded part of the trail, making the stairs on the other side of the creek unreachable by ground, but some were braving a walk over the logs. The road to the trail head is in good shape most of the way. There was more snow at the trailhead than on the trail.

Susie and I went for a nice little New Years stroll up to Boardman lake. We couldn't quite make it all the way to the trailhead by car so parked 1/2 mile down the road and meandered up the snowy road, enjoying views of the Stilly valley from the clearings. From the trailhead, the trail is about 30% snowed in, with quarter mile stretches of bare ground!!! Easy strolling. Boardman lake is mostly iced over and we took pictures of the beautiful patterns of ice around its edges. A lovely way to start the new year. We enjoyed seeing that the trail is still in great shape( we worked on this trail with WTA in 1998.) Happy New Year to all!

Closest parking about 1/2 mile from trailhead still to much snow past that. Snow most of the way up the trail but beginning to melt watch for snow holes. Lake still over half frozen. Not many people up for a rare sunny weekend.

Trail in good shape.

No water or mud on trail.

A good trail for beginning children.

Saw a few jumpers late in the afternoon, probably a good fishing lake.

This is a real easy
20 minute hike to a real pretty lake. real easy for kids. Trail is in excellent shape and the road in to trailhead is super. Trail is dry and no noticable bug problem. Nice developed camp sites and some roough ones as well.

Trail is in good
condition with no snow, no blowdowns, no water on the trail...etc. Road is in great shape to the trailhead.