Trip Reports

We showed-up to the trailhead around 8:45 and there were about 5 cars in the lot. It felt humid and in the upper 60's.
We didn't make it all the way up to Mason Lake as the snow stopped us at about 3,000 feet (as the previous trip report reported) and we didn't feel like dealing with that sort of activity. We stopped at 3,000 feet (which on our pedometer was exactly 3 miles) and had lunch. As we ate a surge of other hikers welled-up to where we'd stopped. Some continued on equipped with microspikes, snowshoes, ice-axes and the like, others stopped and ate, like us.
The visibility was magnificent (much less hazy than the previous day). For much of the hike (especially the relatively steep last mile) the views were gorgeous. Rainier was lookin' magnanimous to the South and the view was open a long way towards the West. We saw a tiny snake on the descent and loads of chipmunks.
This is my first post on WTA, and I was compelled to make it because of an act of kindness by a fellow hiker. As noted in the previous post, a bridge is washed out over a river... the river plummets down a steep slope just after where the bridge washed out, so it was kind of scary. Like, somebody could die if they lost their footing and tumbled a few feet downriver. So, on the ascent, a few logs had been laid across the creek which made passing fun and relatively stable with a staff to help with balance, but on the descent, the logs had been washed-out, and the pass did not look so simple... however, some very cool person or persons ran a rope across the river, which turned the experience from somewhat frightening to absolutely fun and kind of made our day. So, whoever ran that rope across and left it there... thank you!
We plan on returning in a few weeks to make it up to Mason Lake and perhaps further along the trail along the Mt. Defiance Trail.

What a wonderful day to head up the Ira Spring trail.

The road is clear and in great shape all the way to the trail head.

The trail is in great shape there is only one creek crossing that you need to be careful on that is in the first section of the trail. Some one was kind enough to lay some logs across that are not slippery at all but barely keep you out of the water.

There is no snow till you get up to about 3000 feet or so just a little ways before the trail splits heading to Mason lake or to Bandera Mountain. If you are going to go in the next week or so I do recommend that you take your Ice Axe with you as you get up to Little Bandara the slope is step the the boot tracks are melting out as soon as they are made. The slop its self is stable and appears to be well anchored in the talus field. If you are going to go get there early so that the snow is not to soft. On my way down I kept post holing up to my knees and with the rocks below you need to be really careful.

Other then that it was the perfect day to go up. once at 5000 on Little Bandera I was able to see all the way down to Mt Adams and all the way north to Mt Baker and everything in between. Round trip with the snow was about 5 hours including a long lunch break..

If the warm weather keeps up most of the snow should be gone with in the next couple of weeks I would think.

Update to the Ira Spring Trail: About 0.5mi past the trailhead, the river crossing is VERY sketchy. The river/waterfall is currently at full steam and was all but uncrossable until we crudely laid some logs across it. Upon our return after a very warm day, the river was even higher and the log bridge was taken out. We laid some more logs from what we found but I would be surprised if it lasted another day.

In Short: Use caution, with the river this high, there is a significant chance to lose footing on a crude log/stick crossing and the consequences could be devastating with the river drop/waterfall mere feet from the crossing.

My original plan was to go up Mt Defiance (for Cinco de-Fiance) but I ended up on Bandera instead. The road into the trailhead was very smooth and I was the third car in the lot. Snow free trail all the way to where the switchbacks begin around 3500 ft. Then some patchy snow, and solid snow where the trail breaks out of the trees.

Here is where my plan changed. I could see a lot of snow on Defiance, but the rib leading to the ridge on Bandera was nearly snow free! I kicked steps straight up in surprisingly good snow and reached the Mason Lake trail junction. From here up to the ridge top was pretty much snow free. I hit solid snow again on the ridge but it had a well established boot path and minimal postholing, though I had an early start.

I continued up the ridge to the false summit. Ahead of me the snow coverage on the ridge out to the true summit was great. I gave it a shot, but after about 5 minutes turned back. The sun was now on the ridge and the snow softening very quickly. I was afraid of breaking through into a tree well or sliding off the edge. Being solo today, I retreated to the false summit and called it good.

Descending, I continued farther down the ridge towards Mason Lake and found better snow coverage. A combination of plunge stepping and slow-glissades got be back down to the main trail. The snow was liquifying very quickly now and I was glad to be heading out. Some others were just now reaching the snowfields.

A little further down I ran into a uniformed Forest Service volunteer. I assumed she was checking on trail construction but she informed me that they were trying to keep people from crossing the snowfields since they were expecting slides. And I was also informed they are doing the same on Granite Mountain ever since the recent avalanche death. Snow conditions seemed good early on, but later in the day I could see problems developing. Based on the thin snow depth I figure post-holing injuries would be much more likely than avalanche though. There were many people up there unprepared for the conditions. Hope everyone stayed safe.

FS road #9031 is clear and dry all the way to the trailhead. Up to the junction wiht #9030 has been regraveled and it is a bit mushy driving. The rest of the way is its usual potholed self.

The trail is clean and clear up to the place where it leaves the abandoned road. At the top of that incline, patches of snow cover the trail They are easily navigated and will probably melt out in a week or so. At the first switchback the snow starts in earnest. In the early morning it is still cold and crusty and very easy to hike in normal boots. Later it gets mushy.

At about 2.5 miles I arrived at the wide open steep snow fields and decided to turn around. The sun was beating down and it would have been a slippery mess to descend. Others had crossed the snow field and then ascended straight up to the ridgeline. They are obviously younger than I am.

The road to the trailhead is well kept and free of now. Trail well kept up for the first few miles. Spots of snow begin around mile 2. By Mile 2.5 snow is deep and very slushy - needed my snow shoes to continue. However, by the first snowfield the snow was too deep and the avalanche danger was VERY high. The snowfield is impassible due to extremely unstable snow and recent avalanches have eliminated any trace of a trail in the field. Was not able to continue to ridge.

Minimal water/mud on trail (even with melt off). Bridge (log) over Mason Creek seems to be rotting away, not much of it left.

Beautiful hike on a beautiful day nonetheless.

The road to the trailhead has snow but was easily traveled in my crappy ol' Subaru Loyale. Protip: Trailhead bathroom is closed for winter so....ya. The trail is pretty much all on snow, but I didn't require traction until much later in the hike. Initially I hiked to the steep, wide open area just below the Bandera/Mason Lake Jct. I think a lot of people turn back here, and for good reason, if the right conditions are present this slope can be extremely dangerous. I thought a climb to the summit via the summer route would be interesting so I headed up, but the stiff wind on the ridge was really more than I cared to deal with, so I cut across toward the western ridge of Bandera. At the Wilderness sign I just dropped straight down into nice powder and donned the snowshoes before making my way towards Mason Lake. It was wonderful down in the Mason Lake bowl, only light wind, snow still fresh in the trees and no other humans in sight (no offense) What a beautiful moment to leisurely circumnavigate the frozen lake and really drink in the pleasantly monochromatic beauty of the mountains in winter. Check out http://www.nwac.us/ for current avalanche conditions before you head out. Also, not trying to start a fight here but dog owners: You are not really winning hearts and minds leaving poo bags and feces on the trail or dangling in the surrounding foliage.

Road clear to trail head walked up Ira spring trail to the old Mason Lake trail put on micro spikes for climb, no snowshoes required although we packed them along. Snow is old and good for walking. found Sit-a-pon ON OLD TRAIL ON RETURN If it is yours e-mail me seattleelectrician@gmail.com
I talked about the merits of asparagus ! anyway Mason lake was a nice lunch spot with view of lake. We hiked up the ridge to catch the the trail to Bandara, snow was light with no view. The fun part was the Glissade back down! check avalanche danger before returning as warm wether is here this week.

     This is actually the first trail I hiked after moving to Washington a couple of years ago. Though the same time of year, today brought much better weather. The road to the trail head has packed snow in spots the last mile and a half, but even low clearance vehicles shouldn't have any problems. Just park outside the trailhead, snow is deeper in the parking area.
     The first portion of the trail is easy going with minimal well-packed snow.The trail takes on a steeper grade and snow is continuous at 2900 ft. Still well-packed and no need for snowshoes. The sharp switchback at 3500 ft. is very steep and icy. I strapped on my snowshoes at this point and broke a less steep trail to the upper portion of the switchback. Once back on the trail, snowshoes weren't necessary again until the avalanche slope leading up to the ridge. After about a 1/3 of the way up the ridge I decided to call it a day. Steep slopes and loose snow. Nonetheless, a great hike with some outstanding views of McClellan Butte, Mount Kent, and Mount Gardner. Looking forward to backpacking up here. There are plenty of side trails to explore.

Dropped of a car at the Mason Lake trail head and started at the Talapus and Olallie Lakes trail head for a loop hike to Mason Lake, hit the trail at 08:00 with low clouds and a light rain/mist in the air. Clear trail half way up to Talapus then light snow started coming down and covered the trail, very easy to follow. Olallie Creek crossing was easy with poles and boots.

Snow deepened to 3 inches along the Pratt Lake ridge, after the Pratt Lake cutoff the wind and snow picked up and I was happy to have my Patagonia down hoody. I was breaking new trail with knee deep snow along the exposed switch backs, put on my micro-spikes and used poles here to avoid sliding on the steeper ones.

Once reaching the Island Lake cutoff the snow got serious. I was breaking waist deep new powder here all the way until the trail entered the trees again past the small pond after Rainbow Lake. Reached Rainbow Lake at 12:30, it was perfectly halfway frozen. I had left the snowshoes in the car so this area was SLOW going. Once I found the trail again past the small pond it was easy going all the way to Mason Lake with 0-3 inches of snow on the trail. I had plans of stopping and eating at Mason Lake but due to the howling wind and snow coming down I decided to hike on past the lake. I found a big tree along the trail not far past the lake that suited for quick shelter just long enough to jetboil some water and scarf down some hot oatmeal.

Once on top on the Mason Lake ridge/pass (3:00) the wind and snow fall was steady. Easy to follow the trail down snow was only 3-4 inches threw here. Got back to the car just before my headlamp was needed.

Overall an awesome hike, definitely bring snowshoes for the couple miles of snow drifted meadows by Rainbow lake.

Trail was in good shape, even with all the recent rain. You hit packed snow after a mile on the trail. The lake is beautiful. It is not yet frozen over, and all the surrounding foliage has a dusting of snow. Great day for a hike, and good to finally get back out there.

A group of four of us started from the trailhead around 9:30 a.m. and debated whether or not to bring snowshoes. We decided that if we took them, we probably wouldn't need them, but if we did not take them, we wish we had... so we tethered them to our backpacks just in case.

The trail up to the Mason Lake / Bandera Mountain sign had patches of snow, but nothing requiring traction. However, there was solid snow from the sign to Mason Lake. Although we still did not put on any traction, we did see evidence that others had used Yaktrax.

We made it to Mason lake around 11:30 a.m. Mason Lake was absolutely beautiful with snow-flocked trees. There were light flurries of snow and we were glad we had our down jackets to keep warm while taking a break. The group then broke-up due to two members having a hard stop.

Two of us decided to see how the trail was past Mason Lake and see how far we'd make it to Mt. Defiance before being turned back. As soon as we hiked around Mason Lake, the snow became knee deep and we decided to strap on the snowshoes. Since neither of us had been on the trail past Mason Lake before, we made sure we had our maps and compass handy since the trail was not obvious. We did find some somewhat fresh snowshoe tracks, but noticed they were only going one way... so either we were following a group going up to Mt. Defiance or following a group going somewhere else around Little Mason Lake.

Since the snowshoe tracks seemed to somewhat follow the trail up to Mt. Defiance, we decided to not blaze new tracks and just follow them. We did finally meet a group of three people in their snowshoes around a boulder field coming back down. They too had a hard stop, so did not make it to the summit, but said we were going on a direct route up to the top. The boulder field was somewhat difficult to get over in snowshoes since big steps were needed and often the snowshoes were punching through the snow. Given another foot or so of snow and it would have been much easier.

Once past the boulder field, we were following the ridge and found an open area to what we later found out was a false summit. The snow did not have layers (snow, ice, snow) so we felt pretty safe from avalanche danger in snowshoes as long as we stayed on the ridge. After trekking through more trees, we finally saw another open area to what was the true summit. Again, as long as we stayed on the ridge, we felt safe.

We turned around at the summit of Mt. Defiance around 2:00 p.m., but we did NOT make it back to the trailhead until 5:30 ish with much needed headlamps!

Suggestions/cautions for being safe this time of year:
1. Bring snowshoes if you are going past the Mason Lake / Bandera Mountain sign. Ones with heel lifts would be ideal if you're going up to Mt. Defiance.
2. Bring extra food and water (we were surprised how much energy we needed going straight up the mountain ridge towards Mt. Defiance)
3. Be aware of time
4. Bring down jackets and headlamps since it gets dark around here so early, plus clouds block sun even that much more making it darker and colder
5. Be careful going over the rushing waterfall stream which is in the first part of the hike, along the old logging trail. We were very surprised how much water was flowing, how little rock footing there was to use, and how dangerous it would be if you slipped or fell (you'd be dropping 50+ feet down another waterfall)... so be very careful here!

Happy Hiking,
-spdygz-

The dirt road from Exit 75 to the trailhead had numerous potholes due to the trucks during the weekdays. I noticed that the forest service and volunteers improved the trail at the first creek and the waterfalls in the summer. They removed the dead tree blocking the creek. The creek is very visible from the trail now. They also removed dead trees and the culvert pipe at the waterfalls. The water from the falls passes the trail through boulders. It looks natural and very nice. The trail was almost snow free. There was some snow on the ground near the pass and from the pass to the lake. It started raining on the way down around 12:30 PM.

Fresh snow on this trail Saturday morning. Bring sturdy shoes & poles.

Clear but super cold day. Started to snow about a 1/3 of the way up. Was sticking and entire trail was covered in snow on the way down. Trail is in good condition. Saw just 3 other hikers.

Great day for a hike. The skies were very hazey from the Eastern Washington fires. Started the hike at about 11:45am and the parkiing lot was not close to being full. The trail crew has made vast improvment since my last hike in July. The trail to Mason Lake is better than it has ever been. The fall colors are showing and the beatiful flowers in July are gone. The hike was not as difficult as I thought. This was my first trip to Mt Defiance and there is a mild scramble to the top. If you can make it to the open south face the last 1/4 mile will be a breeze. It was very hazey at the top restricting views. Met a nice couple going to Mt Defiance whom were helpful with directions and took pictures at the summit. I would like to thank them for their concern when I did not make it to my vehicle as we left the summit at the same time (they left a note on my car). I took a wrong turn and ended up at Island Lake and had to backtrack to the main trail. It took about3 hours to the top with a 15 munute break. Total hike with the side trip was 6 hours

Very nice hike. Steady uphill, but about half the trail in shade. Not much in the way of views due to haze caused by smoke. Beginning of fall colors. Note: hiking guide says 6 miles rt, but sign at trailhead says 6.8 miles. (Seemed more like 6.8 miles.)

We had hiked the Ira Spring Trail to Bandera Mtn in July so we planned a trip to Mason Lake for today. What a difference 2 months make. With the change of the season comes a change in the landscape. Our first time up was in cloudy, cool conditions. Trail was wet but the wild flowers were abundant and the star of the show. After a long stretch of warm dry weather, today the trail was dry and dusty, flowers were few and far between, the fall colors are beginning to show and the views were awesome.
This is not a particularly difficult trail, but you do gain some elevation and do get a good workout. At the split with Bandera, the Mason Lake trail levels out and it is a nice easy jaunt to the lake. Which was very refreshing to some hot, dusty dogs.
I enjoy hiking in the fall. With a cool crisp start, the days warm up nicely and the bugs are bothersome. No bugs bugging us today.

Beautiful hike! The first part is leisurely uphill, before the real climb begins. Since there hasn't been any rain recently the trail was quite dusty at times. We got to the parking lot around 9:30, and were back in the car around 1:30...took a few breaks while climbing up! Lovely hike.

This was a great trip,19+ miles, camped at Mason lake night one and Island Lake night two, very few people, one nice couple at Island lake so it was very peaceful, Stopped at Rainbow, Blazer, little mason lake, also hiked Mt Defiance and little Bandera, Great weather minimal bugs and great views.
Great time!! Hike on!!

Perfect day for a hike! Hot and sunny in the exposed areas, cool in the shade. The trail is remarkably well maintained, moderate difficulty with short stretches of steep, rocky terrain. Plenty of amazing views on the way up, spoiled only slightly by the noise from the highway, which lessens as you gain altitude. A few berries, a few wildflowers, a good amount of Indian Paintbrush in bloom.

The lake is clear and beautiful, calm and clean. I jumped in, and it was chilly, I'm not going to lie. Most or all of the campsites were taken. Lots of people on the trail today -- not really an isolated spot, but very accessible from Seattle. The parking area was basically full at 11:00, with overflow parking down along the forest road leading to the trailhead.

Beautiful evening hike.We liek doing an after work midweek hike, and after some research, this was it. The trail was is excellent condition. Very easy to follow. Talk about solitude!! we only saw 2 other people. (It does pay off to hike on a weekday in the evening). And the views from the top at night were surreal. We could see the lights of cars driving on I90, and beyond city lights.
The only complaint I have that the entry says that is a 6 mile roundtrip hike, but right at the trailhead there is a sign that clearly states 3.4 mile one way. This ended up adding another hour to hour hike. Had we been hiking in the daylight this would have been fine. However, This was an evening/night hike for us, and it got very late. We will definately return to do it during the day to admire the views.

Fantastic (if not very hot) day on the trail! We hit the trail around 7 am and climbed up and down to Mason Lake. I decided to take a dip in the lake but quickly regretted it. Soooo cold. We met a very nice group of ladies who hike weekly and shared stories of our favorite hikes.

After that we headed up the trail to the summit of Mt. Defiance. The wildflowers were going crazy on the south slope. Very pretty. The views weren't bad either. From the top we could see Rainier, Adams, Baker, Glacier, and even downtown Seattle.

Sun was out of course and beat us up pretty good but we made it to the summit in just under 4 hours (including the break at Mason Lake) from the car. It took us about 2 1/2 back to the car on the return.

Very very nice hike and I'm really glad to have done it. All trails are in fantastic shape. No snow, no water, no mud. A few bugs above the treeline on Defiance but nothing a little bug juice couldn't handle.

Pictures:
http://www.lemarts.com/[…]/mt-defiance-via-mason-lake.html

TRAIL CLOSED for logging :-( Heard it was a great one. Will have to come back another time and find out!

My hiking partner and I got an early start rendevouzing in Covington at 5:30 am, which, even with a stop at Starbucks, put us at the trailhead before 7:00 am, and we were only the second vehicle there that morning. Nothing beats scoring primo parking at a trailhead.

The morning sky was socked in with low hanging clouds, or what some might call fog, but there were breaks in the clouds that alluded to the possibility of sunny skies.

I had checked the most recent trip reports before we headed out that morning, so I knew about the helicopter logging operations that have the road closed during the week...but what they didn't mention (or maybe I just overlooked) was that the underpass at exit 45 is completely blocked so if you're traveling eastbound from Northbend, you have to go to exit 47, get back on I-90 going westbound, and then exit again at exit 45 to get to USFS Road 9030.

After filling out our Alpine permit and slathering in bug repellent, us humans donned our packs, and our canine companion Lily donned her harness and leash and off we went. We just took it slow and steady up the trail enjoying all of the runoff and the two waterfalls and taking lots of pictures. There are a ton of stunning wildflowers in bloom everywhere you look and the day was the perfect temperature for a hike. Not too cold and not too hot.

The trail was clear and dry the entire way which made for easy foot travel for all three of us. Once we reached Mason Lake, it was still early enough that the mist was rising off the dead-still water and the rock rims of the surrounding mountains were shrouded in fog that gave a very peaceful calm to the moment.

We got to enjoy our lunch lakeside with only one angler coming up on us. Then we headed down and were back in the truck by 11:30 am. By that time the parking lot was full and vehicles were packed and stacked along side the road for a good 1/2 mile back down the road so if you don't want to add extra miles to your trip, get there early like we did so that you can have trailhead parking!

Exit 45, going East is closed. The detour takes you to Exit 47 and then back on the freeway going west. Exit 45 going West is open. You will see the result of the logging, when driving up to the TH. The ranger says they are just just thinning the forest. The trail is in great condition and the flowers are in full bloom. The lake stayed fogged in, but we had a great time. I finally found the Ira Springs plaque, up at the top just before dropping down to the lake. Take a look.

Ira Spring Trailhead access closed during the week through mid-Aug.

Helicopter timber thinning will close Mason Lake Road (Forest Service Road 9031) through the middle of August at milepost 2.0 to vehicles and foot traffic during the week, blocking access to Ira Spring Trailhead. The road parallels the north side of I-90 and is off exit 45 on the Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest. Workers will reopen Mason Creek Road Fridays at noon through Sundays and on holidays.

The area is not safe during the cutting, yarding and hauling operations, according to Forest Service officials.

Call Snoqualmie Ranger District for updates at 425-888-1421 or stop by the office at 902 S.E. North Bend Way, North Bend, Wash., 98045.

Ira Spring TH was inaccessible because FS 9031 has been blocked to allow for helicopter logging of the area.

It will apparently be closed all week, re-opening Friday afternoon.

I'm sure Ira would find this quite amusing... not.

-t

Trail to Mason Lake was clear and in good condition. Lots of bear grass and bunchberry blooming. We made the mistake of taking the first turn off away from Mason Lake rather than the second--if you end up a meadow/brushy area still partially snow covered, this is the trail to Little Mason Lake not Mt Defiance. The trail along the ridge was initially snow free, but we soon encountered snow in earnest. Above Lake Kulla Kulla, the route gets steeper on a north-facing shady slope, so the snow was hard and icy in places though melted out around tree wells. Making it all the way to Mt Defiance looks doable, but we turned back due to slower progress on the steep snow.

The nitty gritty:
Bring sunscreen- the trail is exposed for over a mile (and a steep mile at that).
If you're bringing a dog, be warned there is no water until the lake - bring lots of extra water.
Prepare for big crowds. At one point we stopped on the trail and watched a parade of about 30 people hike down past us.
Exit 45 is closed to Eastbound traffic, but the detour via exit 47 is really easy. Get off at exit 47, then get right back on Westbound I-90 and get off at exit 45.

The expanded version:
The views are very nice. The lake is lovely. Really lovely. There is a hillside peppered in bear grass like I have never seen - amazing. But man, it is a grunt of a hike to get there when the sun is blazing, as it was today. The hike is a steady climb from the beginning, but gets notably steeper (!) and is very exposed after the 2-mile point. The last half mile or so where the trail starts to descend to the lake was like a dream - shady, cool, and not straight up.

We arrived at the trailhead around 10:00 and found a full parking lot - apparently everyone likes to hike when it is 80+ degrees outside. (There were so many people hiking today that there was a line of 4 women waiting to use the pit toilet by the lake. No joke.)

Other trip reports had mentioned the lovely waterfalls (yes, very pretty!), so I anticipated some water for my dog to cool off in, but that wasn't an option - there are a few falls along the trail but they are either not accessible, or have a dangerous whirlpool at the base that drains into a culvert and crosses under the trail where it drops about 15 feet onto a cliff of rocks. There are no other streams or water sources until you get to the lake, so bring a lot of extra water to help your puppy (and yourself) stay cool.

The wildflowers are lovely right now - bear grass everywhere, lupine, Indian paintbrush and lots of other little jewels. It's pretty. There are lovely views south and Rainier was shining today!

The lake is absolutely lovely - lots of people were swimming. Talked with a man at the lake who mentioned an "old trail" that is shaded and quiet that he took rather than the parade route up the rocky face in the sun. Not sure what the story is with that, but would be worth checking into.

The bottom line: Would I do it again? Maybe on a cool day midweek (which is not an option due to the road being closed for logging), but definitely not on a sunny weekend.

Hike
Amazing....the first 2 miles is where you warm up before you climb steep for the next 1mile to the ridge and then you drop 500ft to the lake in .4 miles
on a clear day you get amazing views of rainier
Current Conditions
Snow free
relevant info
the hike is 6.8 round trip instead of 6 miles as listed
there was only 1 patch ~10ft of snow which we could just walk around

As many people have mentioned, there is a detour to this trailhead. Going east, you now have to take exit 47, then get back on the highway (going west now) and get off on exit 45.

Got to the parking lot at about 9:00 a.m., and took one of the last "real" spots available. My advice: DON'T drive a large vehicle here. There were so many cars parked on both sides of the narrow road to the trailhead by the end of the day, I seriously doubt some of the trucks that had arrived early could make it out. I was worried my Camry was going to scrape a few times.

Anyways, this is a great hike and the trail is in GREAT shape overall.

I know the description says you start out on an "old road," but it's not very road-like anymore. Just a nice, shaded, wide trail, on which groups can pass each other without stopping. It is fairly flat to begin, but pretty quickly you're going steadily uphill – much quicker than the description led me to believe. Eventually on the "old road" you'll hit the first "oh crap" section, which is long and quite steep. This continues until you start to break out of the forest and into the more rocky/scrubby sections of switchbacks.

Here, you are exposed most of the time, so wear your sunscreen and bring lots of water. But, this exposure also means you get nearly constant views of the beautiful surrounding peaks, including Mt. Rainier, who grows bigger and bigger with every switchback. You also traverse a huge boulder field (and get views of an even bigger one). Wild flowers were all over the place and the visibility was perfect today. This is a steady, fairly steep, uphill climb (thought not as bad as the two particularly gnarly sections of the 'road,' IMHO.)

Eventually, you'll reach the "top" and head downward for a little while toward the lake. This section of trail is quite a bit cooler – in fact, there is still lingering snow, though only a few patches on the trail itself - nothing that can't be traversed in tennis shoes. There were also some muddy spots in this section, but again, my shoes barely got dirty.

The lake is nice - definitely not the most stunning alpine lake I've seen (Snow Lake, Lake Melakwa, Lake 22, Lake Serene are all more impressive by far), but considering all the fabulous mountains views we had up until this point, it was a nice bonus and a good lunch area. There were bugs, but not bad at all. Some nice designated camping sites up there, too.

Going back down, quite a few more people - and they all looked tired and sweaty, so start earlier to stay cooler.

Like I said, lots of cars on the way out and a tight squeeze at times.

A great hike with expansive mountain views, a well-maintained trail, wildflowers and a pretty alpine lake. Not an "easy" hike, per se, because of the steep sections, but short enough that most hikers should do fine if they keep an easy pace.

Definitely check it out!

Loved the hike for the views and workout. Wildflowers were everywhere and even though there was limited visibility, the views I had were great. I can only imagine what it's like on a clear day.

However, if you're looking for solitude, this is not the trail. It was a VERY busy trail on a rainy weekend afternoon. I thought the poor wx would limit the number of people; at least 50 people and over a dozen dogs. Maybe should be renamed Ira Spring Highway (haha).

If I do it again, I would hike up very early Saturday morning, or late Friday evening and get a camp on the lake. Then day hike out further where there is more isolation.

Mason Lake trailhead is inaccesible due to logging on the weekdays excluding holidays for at least the next month or so. I was told this by a guy on the logging crew a couple miles in. Supposedly this info is posted on the National Forest Web site. Headed over to Annette Lake instead, trail is in good shape except for a couple downed trees. Still some big snow in the lake basin, but nothing to impede travel.

This is the second time that I headed to this popular trail. The first time was early last June and I had to turn around just before the trail splits because of knee deep snow. This time I arrived at the trail head around 10:30 and found one of the last spots to park my truck. Hit the trail just before 11am with a couple of other groups. The trail was in great condition, mud and snow free, all the way up to where you drop over the ridge and start to head down to the lake. There were a couple of small areas where snow covered the trail but these spots were easily managed. As you can see from the pictures it was a foggy day but the rain stayed away. I lunched at the lake near the first overnight camping site that I saw and watched the fog roll in over the lake and then clear at times. There were a number of groups on the tail an many with dogs (including myself) but eveyone was pretty spread out and I think split between Mason Lake and Bandera Mtn. I wish you couldn't hear the noise from I-90 on the trail but once you cross over the ridge to the lake it does go away. I hope to take my kids with me next time.

The Hiking Guide elevations are wrong. The Green Trails map has them accurate to the nearest 100 feet, as confirmed my my altimeter. According to the trailhead sign, the trailhead is elevation 2180' and Mason Lake has an average elevation of 4180'. My altimeter showed that the Bandera/Mason junction is the same elevation as Mason Lake. The high point near the Ira Spring memorial plaque is at about 4300 feet, not 4750 feet as the Hiking Guide states. This means that the loss of elevation on the way to the lake (and return trip gain) is only about 120 feet, not 500 feet as the Hiking Guide says. Unfortunately, the Hiking Guide is copyrighted and we are not allowed to correct its numerous errors. (Sigh)

There is no snow until the descent to the lake. A couple of blowdowns presented no problem. Beargrass, lupine and paintbrush are all beginning to bloom right now.

What a beautiful hike. The Ira Spring Trail is in excellent condition and the views get more stunning as you climb higher. If you have hiked Mount Si and not hiked here, I strongly recommend it.

To get to this trailhead take I-90 east to exit 45, however there is construction at this exit so you are detoured to exit 47…immediately hop back on I-90 heading west to exit 45 and make a right off the exit (if there was no construction, you would make a left and head under the freeway) and continue approximately 4 miles to the trailhead. There is one split in the road about a mile in, stay left and in about 3 miles you are at the trailhead.

The trail starts out with a moderate for the first 2/3 of a mile and then progressively gets steeper. After about 1 mile views are always seconds away (through the trees or openings) of mountains to the south. Rainier begins to pop out and you watch it grow as you ascend. On the way up there are wildflowers to see, an enormous talus field, amazing views and a decent workout.

At approximately 2.5 miles, give or take, there is a “Y”…head left for Mason Lake or for those who have no fear of heights and the physical stamina, head left for the summit of Bandera Mountain. The route to Bandera is literally straight up the ridge, I went to Mason Lake.

After the “Y” you cross the top of the talus field, walk a ridge line and make you way to a pass that is the start of the Alpine Lakes Wilderness and the decent to Mason Lake. From the “Y” to Mason Lake was about 1.5 miles.
On the decent, which is at most a few hundred feet, to Mason Lake the trail is a bit muddy and there is a little snow left. I didn’t use any traction devices, but I did have poles.

This is definitely a hike I will come back to and do more exploring to further lakes.

The trail was moderately busy today, a few passed me as I ascended and I passed many people on my decent. When I arrived at the trailhead at 9:30am there were only 4 cars, when I returned about 2pm there were close to 20 cars.

If you are looking for a good hike…I recommend this one!

What a beautiful hike. The Ira Spring Trail is in excellent condition and the views get more stunning as you climb higher. If you have hiked Mount Si and not hiked here, I strongly recommend it.

To get to this trailhead take I-90 east to exit 45, however there is construction at this exit so you are detoured to exit 47…immediately hop back on I-90 heading west to exit 45 and make a right off the exit (if there was no construction, you would make a left and head under the freeway) and continue approximately 4 miles to the trailhead. There is one split in the road about a mile in, stay left and in about 3 miles you are at the trailhead.

The trail starts out with a moderate for the first 2/3 of a mile and then progressively gets steeper. After about 1 mile views are always seconds away (through the trees or openings) of mountains to the south. Rainier begins to pop out and you watch it grow as you ascend. On the way up there are wildflowers to see, an enormous talus field, amazing views and a decent workout.

At approximately 2.5 miles, give or take, there is a “Y”…head left for Mason Lake or for those who have no fear of heights and the physical stamina, head left for the summit of Bandera Mountain. The route to Bandera is literally straight up the ridge, I went to Mason Lake.

After the “Y” you cross the top of the talus field, walk a ridge line and make you way to a pass that is the start of the Alpine Lakes Wilderness and the decent to Mason Lake. From the “Y” to Mason Lake was about 1.5 miles.
On the decent, which is at most a few hundred feet in elevation, to Mason Lake the trail is a bit muddy and there is a little snow left. I didn’t use any traction devices, but I did have poles.

This is definitely a hike I will come back to and do more exploring to further lakes.

The trail was moderately busy today, a few passed me as I ascended and I passed many people on my decent. When I arrived at the trailhead at 9:30am there were only 4 cars, when I returned about 2pm there were close to 20 cars.

If you are looking for a good hike…I recommend this one!

To keep it short,

Snow-free to the lake save a few small stretches just before the lake itself. Mason Lake is half-thawed. Trail to Mason is in good shape, no blow-downs.

About the Mt. Defiance trail... non-existent. The trail that leads up and away from the lake quickly vanishes under a meadow of snow. Follow the meadow until you reach the ridgeline that takes you to the top. Keep the ridge to your left as following the ridge is far more difficult than staying down in the snow. Eventually, the ridgeline steepens and you have to go on it. Some dicey boulderfields, lots of bushwacking, steeeep snow (crampons and ice axe highly advisable), all the way to the top. Part of the trail that cuts on the south side under the peak was visible, but dropping down from the ridgeline just below the summit would be pointless as the backside is a big snowslide. Fun, very challenging.

Now Bandera. From the pass, it's still covered in snow 75%, pretty difficult to follow as well... 6ft snow steps in some place. The summit is half-thawed. Incredible views. The normal way up (and for us, down) to the summit is completely snow-free and in good shape albeit steep as hell! All in all great hike.

Trail report for Ira Springs (Mason lake)
Trail #1038 is in excellent conditions! Powerful waterfalls greeting you on your way up to Bandera MT. Jaw dropping views of Mt. Rainier today with clear skies.
Continuing upward to Bandera summit the trail is free of snow except for on the sides towards the summit. Snow does not affect the main foot path. Excellent views at little Bandera summit. Turned back around and merged onto trail # 1009. Patches of snow along the way to Mason Lake but no big deal. Most if not all of the trail is runable to Mason Lake. At Mason lake the trail becomes more snow covered and the trail is easily lost. We were able to reconnect with the main trail at times but completely lost the trail about half mile past Mason lake. We made an attempt to work ourway to Mt. Defiance but footing on the snow/ice dicy. Bring traction devices if you are making an attempt to summit Defiance. We navigated across boulders as far as we safely could and stopped to enjoy the views and to eat. Turned back around just in time to watch the sunset. WOW! What a view. Well worth the drive for a a great adventure. I would suggest taking a light jacket as it tends to get a bit cooler up there especially in the tree covered sections. Cannot wait to return and summit Defiance and trek all the way to Thompson lake.

It started out as a reasonable day for a lake hike: cloudy skies, but not rainy. We arrived at the trailhead parking lot at 10:15 am--there were only a few cars there at the time. It was cool and breezy, and we were off to a nice start. The trail is in good condition. Because of the spring rains, creeks and waterfalls were at full strength. Slugs were out, but not in large numbers. Trees we noted included Douglas fir (major infestation!), Engelmann spruce, Ponderosa Pine, and alder--just to name a few.

Proceeding east along the Ira Spring Trail, we ascended into the clouds. We could see the bottom parts of McClellan Butte and colleagues across the highway. Shortly afterwards, views disappeared. As we neared the junction with the Bandera Mountain trail, rain began. We descended past the boundary of the Alpine Lakes Wilderness, and the rain became heavier, transitioning into hail. We met Jerry and Peggy on the trail, who both had known Harvey Manning and Ira Spring, and they told us some personal stories. Last year, on the Ira Spring Trail, we also met a lady who had known Ira Spring--a coincidence? 2-3 mm-size hail rained down as we reached the lake. There was snow on the trail near the lake, but navigation was not difficult. We reached the lake. Mason Creek was roaring. We stayed only briefly and headed back. As we left the lake, thunder and lightning started. In five years of living in the Northwest, I had not heard thunder that loud!

The remainder of the descent was a soaker. On the way down, the trail had become watery and muddy in spots due to the thunderstorm. I met a few brave souls who planned to climb Bandera (with a thunderstorm and poor visibility, I would have advised against it). Ascent time: 2 hours 45 minutes. Descent time: 1 hour 15 minutes.

 

The Mason Lake trail is essentially melted out to the lake. There is a total of maybe 200' of snow and it is definitely low-top boot if not tennis shoe material. Most of the campsites have melted out and you can easily get around that side of the lake.

As you leave the lake the snow almost immediately covers the trail. The Mt. Defiance route is definitely a snow route right now with several steep slopes and snow that just barely kicks into steps. Recommend an ice axe.

The Bandera trail is snow free and you can just walk to the top.

Confession: If you come across the worst-written USFS trail report in history on the board at the Ira Spring trailhead that is my fault. I got caught in a fast-moving storm on Bandera, got soaked, high-tailed it to the parking lot, then decided to do my "wilderness-ranger duty" and fill out the report. Frozen fingers conspired with a frozen brain and no "green form" to produce that. Seriously! If I wasn't a volunteer I'm pretty sure that would have got me fired. Sorry about that!

Trail is clean and dry all the way to the Bandera ridgeline. Looks like a lot of snow yet on the north side of Bandera. Mt. Defiance south face also has lots of snow on it yet. Mason Lake is melting out fast and the water is really cascading down Mason Creek in volume.

Over the ridge the path down to Mason Lake is reasonably clear coming down and then dirty salt & pepper snow to the spillway. Snow is thinning out rapidly and the trail is easy. Two blowdowns on the way to the spillway are easily passed but will be a nuisance once they are fully exposed.

A number of rocks have fallen onto the upper trail, most between 12 and 18 inches in diameter but there are two big ones. One is between switchback 4 and the Bandera/Mason junction. The other is between the junction and the ridge on the way to Mason Lake. Some really good drainage work has been done on the lower trail. Not too many flowers yet.

After the Mason Lake spillway the trail is pretty clear to the big rocks which offer a great place for lunch with good views and dry seating. Beyond that is still all snow hiding the trails.

The goal was Bandera first then Mason lake and Mount Defiance for the finale...it didn't work out that way though. The trail is very well maintained (way to go WTA) and not very difficult,hikers in shape will have no trouble. The waterfall on the way up is pretty impressive and you'll get a few nice views of the I-90 corridor through brakes in the trees during the first couple miles. Around 4,ooo ft the trees thin and you are exposed to the sun(if you're lucky)or rain,snow,and wind if you're me. The trail splits with Bandera to the right and Mason lake to the left,sticking with the plan I headed up Bandera. The trip to the false summit is fairly steep with some boulders that you need to watch out for if you value your ankles. It began snowing pretty good and the clouds blew in dropping visibility to 20yrds or so,not really an issue until I got near the top. Once I reached the false summit I searched in vain for any sign of a trail to follow to Bandera's true Peak but due to the snow and low visibility it was not to be(the true summit is not much higher than the false and there was no view to speak of anyway). I headed back down to the split in the trail and made my way towards Mason lake. In no time at all you find a sign that reads Alpine lakes,be careful there is a lot of snow on the trail down to Mason lake and I wouldn't recommend the trip until we get some more heat and the snow melts. That being said I scrambled down anyway and found what I thought was the trail...following what looked like old snowshoe tracks I made my way to the lake(totally frozen over). A quick bite to eat I started out again in search for the trail to Mount Defiance,20 minutes later I was bushwhacking and post holing after following what I thought were more tracks but ended up being,well,nothing. Frustrated I retraced my steps and headed back for home. The trip didn't go exactly as planned but I thoroughly enjoyed myself and will be back for an overnight trip when the weather has warmed setting up camp by Mason lake and taking in the views from Defiance's summit.

Spent the day doing trail maintenance with the Mountaineers, Volunteers of Washington, and the WTA. We worked the first part of the trail and did not get pass Mason Creek. I did get to see the waterfall there when we stopped for lunch. Most people coming back down the trail who had been to the top said there was snow and many of them didn't make it to the lake. The road to the trail is driveable but has a lot of potholes. There is a good size parking lot and privy.

Road to trail in great shape, although access to FR 9030 was blocked if exiting from eastbound I-90. Had to continue to the next exit and turn around in order to get to the forest road. Looked like maybe there was work being done on the I-90 overpass. Trail was clear of snow until about 45 minutes into the hike (not sure of the distance). Turned around after a bit due to the snow. Was a little wary of crossing an open avalanche chute on the narrow slippery snow path, but due to the boot prints, looked like others had ventured on. Trail was in great shape other than the snow.

We were really excited to try this hike, but we weren't able to make it to the lake because of the snow. I think it may be okay for more experienced hikers, but we we're pretty casual and didn't have the gear. We turned around about 2 miles in where the trail started to become more narrow and the snow on the trail just got to be too much. Looking forward to trying again this summer!

The road to the trail head is clear of snow and in good shape. Headed up the trail where patches of snow started at about the 1/2 mile mark. Snow cover thickens and becomes fairly deep by the first switchback. About 1/2 mile from the top of the ridge to Mason Lake the track ends and to continue means lots of post holing. I continued up Bandera, but the snow got too mushy and deep and my gaiters weren't working very well. Great hike and great views.

First time hiking this trail. There are clear signs off of exit 45 (going Eastbound on I-90) pointing the way to the forest road 9030. Not sure why, but the road that goes under I-90 was blocked off as closed, but we just drove around the cones to the other side no problem. The drive to the trailhead takes only about 10 min, part is paved and rest is dirt road.

1/4 mi into the hike, snow appeared on trail. Before long, it was all snow. My friend and I continued on and enjoyed ourselves, but it was hard work. We only had hiking boots. I would recommend at a minimum hiking poles (to distribute the weight) or, better, some clip on spikes.

We hiked for 1 hr 45 min and decided to turn around only in the interest of time. It was a really nice setting with great views of the mountains and valleys. We were able to see the Bellevue and Seattle skylines (barely). And we had a nice view of the upper 1/2 of Mount Rainier.

I would not recommend the hike for kids in these conditions, but if it was clear of snow, it's not a very aggressive hike and kids >6 yrs should be fine.

Enjoy. Ryan

Headed out for a snow shoeing hike with a meetup group. However, we didn't encounter snow till halfway up. Had heard that the new trail had icy conditions and therefore opted to take the old trail which followed up a creek with beautiful waterfalls. Conditions were such that we didn't need snowshoes, but we did use microspikes and poles which absolutely are a must at higher altitudes. Would not advise beginners on this hike. Overall, a great hike with weather cooperating and fairly mild for this time of the year. Great views of Mt. Rainier, McClellan butte from the top of the ridge above the lake. Mason lake itself was covered in snow, but we did not dare tread on it, as the ice probably fairly thin.

The road to the trail head is 100% open as of today. There are a couple of blow downs that you have to drive around but our Toyota Tundra made it around them with no fear of driving off the edge of the road. There are pot holes so a low clearance car may have a little bit of a tough time.

The trail starts with about an inch of snow on the ground and after about a mile and a half or so becomes over a foot or more. The trail is fine without snowshoes or microspikes untill about 2-2.5 miles. The trail dispears and it becomes trail blazing conditions. At which point the trail looks like it needs to go straight up. The snow is soft and snowshoes are needed. after going straight up for about 15 minutes we called it quites as i was having a tough time staying on my feet. A quick glissade down to the trail and we returned back to just boots and poles.

We didn't make the lake and it looks like to make the lake, knowledge of the trail is required, snowshoes/microspikes and poles are needed.
 

A friend has been trying to get me on an alternate "trail" to or in this case toward Mason Lake. It is a boot-beaten tread that takes off, more or less from Exit 42 along the north side of I-90. It climbs about 600 vertical feet intersecting the road to the Ira Spring trailhead just shy of the parking area. Nice soft forest duff but roots and faint tread here and there. Some log over and unders along the way. As noted in the other recent report, a tree blocks access to the lot and cars were parked on the road. Then up the old road to the Old Mason Lake trail. We opted for the old trail and going was good for a ways but as the trail swings into the creek drainage, the snow was packed and icy. It continues that way until the snow deepens and footing is better.

We followed other tracks and did the under log routine necessary on this classic hike. The creek area is really quite scenic with cascades although the lovely moss was now white snow in the main.

We followed with a posthole or two or three up to and into the boulder field where at around 3,800 feet we called it a day. The tracks we had been following turned to snowshoe tracks and we did not have any. Besides, there were things awaiting back in Seattle.

There is patchy snow from the trailhead all the way with some icy spots. Patchy snow on the old trail yields to full snow.

It was a rather nice outing. Whether I'd be willing to always start this hike 600 feet lower remains an open question. But the creek crossings, deep moss and rather mellow angle were a pleasant departure from the ordinary.

Blowdown tree blocked road to trail head, but only ~200 yards away. No visible tracks above 3000 feet. Snowshoes and ice ax are must-haves.

We arrived at the trailhead around 08:30 to find only two other cars. The road in was clear the entire way, but there some stretches of pretty bad potholes. We started hiking by 08:45 and about the time we passed Mason Creek, we started to encounter a layer of slush, getting covered by small ice pellets. We were following only one set of tracks though, and we ran into this person at the portion of the trail where it veers off from the old logging road and heads up the hill. The snow was starting to get a bit deeper here, around 4-6 inches. Right after the first switchback, we ran into the owner of the other vehicle, who had spent a cold and wet night at Mason Lake. Isn’t it odd though, that despite the rain, cold, and the snow you keep brushing off your tent throughout the night…you still have a great time?

By the time we reached the junction with the trail to Bandera, the snow was probably 14-16 inches deep, but the two folks before us had cut a good trail through the snow, so it wasn’t too bad. There was a good stiff breeze blowing as we headed for the saddle, and we reached that in no time. What a difference it was dropping down the other side towards the lake, as there was virtually no wind, and the snow was good and compact.
  
Made it in to the lake, found the campsite that was used the night before and decided that was a good spot to have our lunch. There are sections of the lake where a layer of slush is building, and it shouldn’t be too much longer before it is entirely frozen over. Naturally, the breeze picked up and the clouds dropped into the lake so the views were few. It was just cold enough that we needed to start moving again, so we packed up and headed out. Ran into a large party at the outlet of the lake who had done a good job of packing down the trail, so our trip out went pretty quick and we were back at the trailhead by around 1:30. The snow at the lake is around 18-20 inches in places. But that will get deeper as the next few weather systems move through.
Winter has definitely arrived, so be prepared out there!

Looking for a close in hike to take advantage of the new snow and the sun. Accomplished one of those goals - new snow. You will see the very brief sun shining on the peak across I-90 and the nice ray on sun on I-90. That was it.

Cold at the start but I did take off mittens and hat on the climb. At the junction with the old trail my friend took that route while I trudged "the long and boring trail" (sung to the tune of the similarly titled song). No snow at first turned to a dusting and then patchy and then about 1-2 inches on the last switchback and down to the lake. That last switchback was also breezy and hat and mittens were donned once again to stay on most of the rest of the hike including back down.

My friend beat me by about 10 minutes. Ate a quick bite and headed down. Most of the way down was accomplied by a fine sprinkling of graupel. Not a soul was seen until the final turn in the road back to the parking area. Chomped on some frozen Salal Berries and there was a bit of color left but not much.

I don't know what the weathermen were drinking but their forecasts, yes, more than one of them, were WRONG!

The road has sections of potholes but was not bad.

After Granite on Tues in the sun, this was not bad but sun would have been much nicer.

The last Saturday in October was a nice day for hiking. The morning saw a little rain, but by the time we started our hike, the rain had stopped and the day became nice. Our plan was to take two cars, leaving one at Ira Springs Trailhead and the second at Talapus Trailhead. Our hike began at Talapus. Our total hike would be around 10 miles. Soon the snows will be here, making much of this hike out of reach for us. A recent report stated there is snow on the trail. We did find some remnants of snow near Island Lake, but nothing to be concerned with.

The total hike has many types of scenery. Starting with gentle slopes to Talapus and passing by mushrooms, and cascading water falls. From Talapus we gazed at the fall colors and listened to the water falls coming down from Island Lake. As we climbed toward Pratt Lake turn-off, we began with the high mountain views. We gazed down to Ollalie Lake, and later to Talapus Lake. Once reaching the turn to Island we were in a new land with many small lakes, and meadows. We expected to see deer or Elk, but they must have been in hiding.

After passing mason, we descended down the side of Bandera with the fall colors all around us.

Great time to hike, with the temperatures in the 40’s, no snow yet, no bugs, but plenty of water falls and lakes. Note: there is water and mud on the trails between Island Lake and Mason Lake. Our total altitude gain was 2800 ft.

A very well maintained trail that follows a logging road for about a mile, you can hear the highway during that time and the elevation is gradual: about 650 ft to that point. Then the trail starts to climb and the views get better and more spectacular. It was a clear and beautiful day so you are able to view Mt. Rainer in the distant. Highest point is around 5000 ft. so you will climb about 2800 ft. in about 3 miles, then the last half mile will bring you down to the lake that is well hidden at 4,250 ft. This is a great hike for beginning backpackers and family. The bugs which were prevelant about three weeks ago have dissipated due to the colder temp. It was a bit chilly at the lake, but the view was worth it. There wasn't a lot of beach area, but I mangaged to snag a great place for lunch on a few large boulder slabs on the left side of the lake near the trail.

September 24-25th Mason Lake Overnighter.
This was an overnighter into the Alpine Lakes Wilderness. Due to the wilderness rules we had to limit our group to 12 members. Popularity forced us to split into two groups, one departing at 9am and the other at 11am. I was part of the 9am group.
This hike was short but very strenuous as we had to climb a high mountain pass before descending into beautiful lake basin. Like the 1950’s movie land of the lost. However there were no dinosaurs (that we spotted). It was a wonderful hike on Ira Spring Trail up the side of Bandera Mountain, with views of the Snoqualmie River Valley below and Mt Rainer peeking over the rugged mountains to the south as we ascended the steep slope. We had to stop quite a few times for water and fuel (cookies and beef jerky) in order to complete the task. But the reward was great as we go to the cool peaceful Mason Lake on the other side of the mountain.
We set up camp on the shore next to a bunch of giant granite boulders. The 11am scout group found 2 sites adjacent to ours. We practiced cooking on stoves, and filtering lake water for drinking. We took a hike to the other side of the lake looking for a spring but they were all dried up. It was a hard hike over granite boulders, dubbed by the scouts as the “Playground of Death”. The scouts preferred lounging lakeside after the long hike I think.
We slept overnight in our tents (most of us). It began raining in the morning so we skedaddled out of there. As soon as we hit the trail the rain stopped and as was assured us by one of group earlier that there was blue sky on the other side of the mountain, it turned out to be true. We crested the ridge for the long descent with beautiful views of the mountains valleys and Mt Rainier. It was a much easier hike out and we were back to our cars for the ride home in just under 2 hours.

I went when it was HOT last week. I went a bit late and was rewarded with a glorious sunset. I would have liked to spend the night. The stars were out in splendor. The hard part was coming down after dark. Not a good idea! I lost my neck purse after a fright from some unseen animal. My name and number is in the purse, so I'm still hoping!

We arrived at the parking area just after 0600hrs and it was still mostly dark. There were already three other cars in the parking area at that time. The rain was coming down hard and the cloud cover was solid and fairly low. Visibility on the ground was fine, but the clouds obliterated any views of the valley that we might have been able to see on our way up. But that first real creek crossing made the rain, being soaking wet, and the cloud cover all bearable, because the creek was roaring and shooting out of the culvert with great force...quite spectacular. Even trekking across the basalt outcroppings with the wildflowers and limited views of the valley below was worth every bit of being wet and cold. Then when we made it to the edge of Mason Lake, it was absolutely gorgeous.

This was the first hike for my friend and I'm a novice hiker as well, but we still made it round trip in three hours. Not too bad for two suburban Mommies just getting into hiking.

For other trail novices like me, I learned that you have to fill out a Wilderness permit before trekking up this trail, and if you don't you can get a $150 fine. We learned this from the Volunteer Ranger we encountered on the trail, who asked to see our Wilderness Trip permit. I also learned that there is a different parking pass for USFS land and that the Discover Pass only works for WA State land, which the Ira Spring Trail parking area is not. So, get the proper parking permit before you go, because this can also get you another ticket. The good news is that they are patrolling these areas, so if you're a hiker who hikes alone, there's an added security in knowing that help is out there.

The Volunteer Ranger that we encountered was SUPER nice and a great source of information. If she happens to read this, THANK YOU!!!!

I definitely want to do this hike again when it's a bit clearer so that I can enjoy the views as well as the trail, which was very well maintained and a gem to hike.

Happy Trails!

Nice hike. Good variety. Blueberries ripe in buckets. Bugs absent. Drive was fast from Seattle (and well worth it!). Lake warm. Started at 2:30 pm, so parking lot full when we arrived. Lake very quiet when we got there, saw no one going down.

Mileage in book is off as previous poster noted. 2.8 to trail split. .7 extra to Mason lake. 3.5 one way. 7 total. Nice mossy rocks over the top.

Mile 2 through 2.8 is steeper. Probably good views from 2.5 up, but it was hazy today, though fully sunny.

Well I disappointed myself. I got kinda of a late start and left the trailhead at 11am. It was pretty warm the first 2 miles. I made it to the turn where you can go to the lake or bandera and turned around. Call me a wussy or what you may, but even though I was prepared with my 10 essentials, I could tell my body was saying turn around. I went threw my whole camelback of water and a extra bottle. and didnt think search and rescue needed to pack down another body. I KNEW MY LIMIT. I am in descent shape and I have to say this is a little challenge. The first 2 miles are a breeze , then when you have to make the start up the trail where it forks, my lord be prepared. Not that it last forever I was not ready , I started to late and was very hot in open areas. I was glad I had bug spray its a must biting flies. I will attempt this hike later on or when I can get a ealier start.


THANK YOU TO THE GENTLEMAN WHO WAS KIND ENOUGH THE TELL ME THE REAL MILEAGE ON THE TRAIL. IT LONGER THAN 3 MILES TO LAKE.

First time doing Ira Spring/Mason Lake/Mount Defiance. Easy access off I-90. At trail head by 09:00am. Parking lot was pretty full. But not bad for a beautiful Saturday morning. Hiked with Sam, one of my dogs. Nice gradual elevation gain up to Mason Lake with views. Sam and I were moving and made the 3 miles to Mason Lake in an hour. Mason is a gem of a lake. There was a nice breeze moving across the water. We explored the banks and large boulders lining the perimeter of the lake. Great lake to spend an hour checking things out and sunning on a rock. Leaving Mason it's a little confusing following the main trail which leads up to Mount Defiance (didnt have GPS). Ran into a party that actually lost the trail and reconnected quite a ways up. The next 2 to 2.5 miles up to Defiance is a bit of a thigh burner. Considerable elevation gain but not overly taxing for someone in moderately good shape. We got to the steep meadow before the final ascent to Defiance. We didnt end up going to the summit. Sam wasnt feelng the steep ridgeline (if I'm honest I wasnt either). I'm sure we missed out on some stunning views but wasn't worried about it. Headed back down to Mason. Considered heading to Pratt Lake at the cutoff near Mason but heard it was at least several miles to Pratt and didnt have the time. Another day. Had lunch at Mason in the sun on a big boulder. Awesome. Decided to take a dip in the lake. Cold but actually not nearly as bad as you'd think. Swam out quite a ways toward the middle of the lake. Alpine Lake baptism. Then saw someone else start to get in after me. Descent was easy. At the trailead by 02:00pm. Parking lot was packed! Vehicles lining the road a 100 yards down. Great little hike. Good views, great lake, nice burn. Trail in excellent shape, bugs not an issue at all, but we did have a nice breeze the whole day. Glad to have done it.

Parked at the Trailhead for Ira Spring Trail off FR 9031. Road to trail is in excellent shape and all vehicles should have no problems on 9031. 4 cars parked at TH at 9:30am Monday morning.

Trail to Mason lake is smooth and steady grade with no issues. Seems more like a freeway than most trails. Not may wildflowers blooming, but enough in the more open talus slopes to give some color and interest.

At Mason Lake we opted to continue on into the Lake Basis, turning East toward Rainbow and Island Lakes. Trail get much more eroded and narrow, often with deep ruts in the next 3/4 miles past Mason. No real issues, but there is no drainage and trail erosion from water run-off is extensive. Most of the trail is brushy and about 18" wide, often with a foot deep trench. Seems most of the effort of maintenance and preservation goes to the trail to Mason, but not beyond into the even more beautiful lakes basin.

The first lake after Mason in about 3/4 miles and is a smaller, shallow lake with lots of tadpoles and frogs (and mosquitoes right now), but still very nice. One nice campspot on the east end of the lake overlooking the meadows and lake itself.

Next in line is Rainbow Lake. A medium size alpine lake that again has 1 or 2 campspots. Not a lot of lake access here though without some bushwacking.

Continuing down the trail toward Pratt Mountain which towers as a pile of granite boulders above the lake basin, you find the trail junction down to Island Lakes. It's a .4 mile swing down to a very nice lake and several smaller pools and ponds of snow melt, and drainage waters. Island lake is a real jewel of a lake and there are about 3 nice campspots here, mainly near the trail entrance to the lake. There were even trout swimming near the shore in Island lake. There is not (as far was we could find) access trails to the farther sides of the lake, but this lake is a real gem and worth the effort to get to.

After enjoying Island Lake for an hour or so, we returned via the same route back out to Mason Lake, and then back down the Ira Spring freeway trail. Just about 6 people total met on the Ira Spring to Mason portion, and 0 people in the lake basin area. This area is just really nice solitude and peace and quiet around pretty alpine ponds and lakes.

In and out all the way to Island lakes made about an 11 mile trip, plus extra exploring the lake areas. Total ascent/descent for the day came in at just over 3100'.

Complete trip pictures here: http://www.flickr.com/[…]/

This is a great hike close to Seattle. Nice trail condition, great flowers, refreshing lake to swim in and excellent views from the peak. RT is about 10mi with 3300 ft elevation gain. 100% snow free, no mud anywhere, and bugs were present but not too annoying.

By taking the old Mason Lk trail you can make the lower portion of the hike into a loop and shave off 1 mile of hiking in the process. It also adds cool variety to the journey since the scenery is very deep forest and totally different from the dry open Ira Spring route. The downside is that the old Mason Lk trail is steep and not easy to find. It takes off 3/4 mi from the trailhead. It is 300 feet beyond Mason Creek which is the 3rd and largest creek that you cross. It is the one with a large steel culvert that is partly exposed by a past washout. The trail is marked (blocked?) by a pile of jumbled logs. After a few switchback the Old Mason Lk trail enters an interesting mossy old growth forest which runs just east of the creek. The trail is steep enough that poles are very useful. The tread is in amazing shape considering the steepness. The trail then veers away from the creek and eventually traverses just below a large bolder field. You can go straight up the boulder field but the easiest route is to take the trail that runs just to the left (north) of the boulder field. The trail eventually runs into the Ira Spring trail. Turn left and in 140 steps you will be crossing the Mason lake outlet. The Old Mason Lake trail is hard to identify from top end also because an old log is sitting in the middle of the path and obscures it.

The trail to Mt Defiance is well marked and takes off about 1/4 mile north of Mason Lk. It starts out in a very old climax forest of silver fir and hemlock. The trees are of modest size but many are over 500 years old. The trail eventually breaks out into a steep meadow just south of Mt Defiance. Lots of wild flowers still in peak bloom. The trail that finally ascends Defiance goes up the west side of the peak and is easy to find(marked by a small pile of rocks). From the top you can see Baker, Glacier, Stuart, Rainier, Downtown Seattle and countless local peaks and several lakes in the Alpine Lakes Wilderness. A light breeze helped with the bugs. Don't expect to be lonely on a weekend.

Some pictures from this hike: http://www.flickr.com/[…]/

This trail is in very good condition. I think we encountered one blowdown but you could easily step across and other than that there weren't any issues at all with the trail.

The trail starts out relatively flat but after a mile and a half or so it gets pretty steep and stays that way for quite a while, until you get to the fork that takes you to Bandera Mountain. We were a little but under time pressure and therefore decided to go the other way, to Mason Lake. From the fork the trail is pretty flat and then descends little bit towards the lake. It's a beautiful spot and some people were swimming, just beware of the bugs, quite a few around the water. We only had our lunch and then went back down but it was well worth it.

On quite a large proportion of the trail you are exposed to the sun, so make sure you bring sun lotion and plenty of water on a hot day like today. This was a beautiful hike and I hope to do Bandera Mountain some time soon as well.

As this trail has been more than adequately described by other users, I will add my two cents on a more serious topic.

As my two buddies and I hiked out from Island Lake on the 28th, we passed a still-smoldering campfire at Mason Lake in the early morning. Okay.
One, it's above 4000 feet, so no fires.
Two, it's posted TWICE before the lake that fires are not allowed within the lake basin.
Three...there were maybe twelve people camped within 50' of this site, all of whom should have been able to smell and see the smoke just as we did.... As well as dozens of other hikers already on the trail that morning. And yet, we were the ones who spent an hour carrying water from the lake to try to douse the smouldering duff? And while I realize that no one likes confrontation (least of all myself), I would hope that someone had a good shout at the idiots who were trying so very hard to start a forest fire the previous night.

After we did our best to douse the area, we hiked out as fast we could, heavily loaded, and called the Ranger station to report the fire and get some professionals out to complete the process, which still needed some shovel-work. We found that we were the first to call it in.

Please everyone, please. If you are in the forest, the forest is your responsibility.

Thank you!

We started our hike a bit after 10:00 a.m. on a beautiful sunny day (finally) and were at the lake before noon. My wife had hike to Mason Lake years ago, but was unfamiliar with this route. It's a very well maintained trail, quite wide at the start (we hiked side-by-side for a while).

There was still plenty of water in the creeks flowing down the very steep side of the mountain thanks to the cool wet spring and summer. A couple of places the trail crossed these creeks, and there were large culverts sticking way out passed the remnants of the mostly washed-out trail, and the water was falling 8-10 feet down to rocks below before continuing to rush down the gulley. Sort of a man-made waterfall I guess.

The view of Mount Rainier was the highlight visually of this hike, and it did not disappoint. The lenticular cloud we saw capping Rainier on our ascent was joined by rather roiling clouds on the descent.

The guide material about this hike suggested a 500' drop into the basin of Mason Lake, however, from the highpoint of the hike on the ridge, down to the lake was only a 150' drop. The air temperature dropped abruptly dropping into the basin, where it was cool and mossy winding through the tree-lined trail.

Once at the lake we circled around a bit clockwise and ate lunch in the sun, sitting on a rock with our toes in the water, with small trout darting to the surface every minute or two in front of us, reducing the bug population slightly.

After lunch we explored a bit of the other shoreline (a rock scramble) and found a good place to take a quick dip in the water. Not quite polar bear club cold, but it was brisk!

Gorgeous day for a hike up to Mason Lake! We got to the trailhead at 8 am and the parking lot was about half full. We were a little bummed because we thought that our early start would've resulted in a bit more solitude, but it wasn't that bad once we started heading up the trail (especially compared to the way out!). We passed a handful of groups and had the lake to ourselves except for a couple of fisherman who hiked in a few minutes behind us. We didn't linger long at the lake because there were a lot of bugs.
The views of Rainier were amazing, and we were pleasantly surpised at what a nice trail it was, especially so close to Seattle. Maybe we've underestimated the appeal of these I-90 hikes...

As we headed down, the masses started heading up, which we expected considering it was a sunny, warm, weekend day in Seattle. When we got back to the trailhead the lot was full and people were parking a fair way down the road. If you're going to do this hike on a nice weekend day and don't want to deal with crowds, get there by 8 am or earlier.

I usually hit Granite Mountain, so I thought I'd a change it up a bit; what a difference! Defiance is a really spectacular hike, especially this time of year with all those flowers and what not. Started late because the I-90 bridge was closed for the Blue Angels, left around 12pm. I got to Mason around 1:00, and couldn't quite find a spot to myself! There were a few blow downs right before the lake, but nothing one couldn't manage in tennies.

So, I continued on towards Defiance, and only saw two parties on my way up. There's still some patchy snow near the halfway point from the lake, and it makes it difficult to find the trail at times.. Remember to always stay to the right of the big snowy gully. There wer

The traverse under the peak just before the scramble to the top is extraordinary! A steep meadow full of flowers and a nice level trail that allows us to take in all the beauty comfortably. Rainier in full beauty today. The last 20 minutes to the top is very steep, wow. And the top is incredibly buggy on windless days such as today, yet the the views did not disappoint.

I'll write a follow up review to let you all know whether you can drink out of Mason lake without a filter. (Giardia pending) :]

Oh yea, and I forgot my camera.

We had already hiked to Franklin Falls, but we wanted to hike some more, so we chose Ira Spring/Mason Lake. A good choice. We arrived at the parking lot around noon, just as the early hikers were leaving, so parking was no problem on this Monday. The trail starts in shade, so the early going was pleasant, and all the people coming down were telling us how wonderful the flowers were up above.

After rounding the hillside on the old road, the trail started rising quite steeply and soon opened up in places giving us views of the valley below, across which we could see Mt. Rainier poking up between Mt. Kent and Mt. Gardner. What a sight! The higher we rose, the better the view of The Mountain became. But it was steep!

When we finally got up to the open meadows below Bandera Mtn., the flowers were as promised. I don't think I've ever seen so much bear grass in one place as I did here, mixed in with lupine, Indian paintbrush, Columbia tiger lily, Canadian dogwood, pearly everlasting, and yarrow, with a beautiful blue sky to back it up. Lovely!

Soon we crested the rise and dropped down into shade and quiet to Mason Lake for a relaxing break and a snack before heading back through the meadows.

This was a very satisfying hike. The trail was dry for the most part with good tread. Approaching the lake there were a few blow-downs across the trail, but branches had been trimmed to make crossing them easy.

There were some bugs, so treat yourself accordingly. Bring water and a snack for energy and you'll enjoy this hike as much as we did.

This was an overcast Sunday hike, becuase the parking lot was so overparked & jammed up on Saturday that I couldn't get anywhere near the trail head, and went with plan B. There's no trail issues button for 'overcrowded parking lot', but aside from that and a few bugs around the lake, this was a gorgeous hike.

I started reasonably early around 8:30 AM, and was one of the first cars in the lot. If you're looking for solitude, that's the way to get it. I saw almost no-one on the way up, but passed a steady stream of hikers on the way down.

The waterfalls are flowing nicely along the trail, and the wildflowers were just amazing. The trail is in great shape overall, with just a few muddy patches when you get closer to the lake. I saw some small pockets of snow after crossing to the north side of the mountain, but the trail itself is clear. Even if your not going up to bandera, scrambling a few hundred feet up the bandera trail will situate you right in the middle of one of the most amazing meadows I've seen.

Don't forget to slow down and pay homage to Ira at the trail's peak, where observant hikers will see a small dedication plaque looking out towards the pass. Most people seem to blow by & not notice it.

Another beautiful western WA summer day! We arrived at the trail-head around 9:15 a.m. It was already backed up about 1/4 of a mile from the main parking area. If solitude is what you're seeking, pick another trail. The trail to Mason Lake was pretty busy. We passed/saw other hikers on the trail every couple of minutes. The trail up to Mason Lake is in great condition. There are a few muddy/soft spots as you approach the lake, other than that, it's smooth sailing. Once you hike through the quaint Mason Lake area, you veer left onto the main trail (sign posted). Be sure to keep right, there's a false trail to the left that will lead you to a drainage area; we made that mistake and buried ourselves in mud (along with the dog). :( We trekked on toward the summit of Mount Defiance. About a 1/4 mile past the sign post, we ran into patches of snow. Those patches turned into snow-fields. It's very easy to lose the trail because there's so much snow still melting. The drainage areas that resemble the trails are pretty spot on, we followed those and successfully found our way. Be sure to wear water-proof footwear ... And I suggest trekking poles. After the snow patches, the trail becomes visible and easy to hike through, minus a few more patches before you reach the open, rocky ledge that brings you to the steep hike to the summit. It was all worth it once we reached the top. There are spectacular views that are worth the inconvenient trail conditions. Plus, we shared the trail with a total of about 15 people. It was a nice reprieve from the herd of people heading to Mason Lake and Bander Mountain. Enjoy!

Beautiful day for this hike. Once you leave the old road grade the trail really starts to climb. We paced ourselves well and didn't burn out too quickly. Really enjoy the wide open views and the wildflowers were particularly nice. Lots of very friendly hikers sharing the trail today. Only blowdowns were small and easy to step over and they were all between the ridge and the lake. A few bugs in a few spots but overall not a problem.

The most important thing I have to say is to be prepared to change a tire. I parked near someone who had a flat when we got to the lot and when we came down we had a flat as well. It wouldn't have been an issue for us except the tire was completely rusted in place. Got the lug nuts off just fine but the tire wouldn't budge. We had apparently ran over a 4 inch nail. So be prepared! Thanks to everyone who offered their assistance in trying to help us.

 

Hike to Mason Lake, Mt. Defiance, and the nearby lakes in the basin. Beautiful views, charming lakes, and lovely wildflowers. A few trail runners doing some mad distance runs.

The trail to Mason Lake is in great shape, just some occassional mud/snow pits around the lake. Lots of folks headed there (and/or Bandera Mountain) but few (if any) folks beyond, especially the other nearby lakes.

The trail to Mt. Defiance still has a lot of snow in spots, but was perfectly doable. I used an alternate route that was flagged at times (and other times lost it). Ran into someone (who said he rain into someone) who came through via Thompson Lake.

The other nearby lakes are mostly snowfree, except for Island Lake. Trail can be hard to follow at times due to the snow.

Beautiful day for a hike! FSR 9030 and 9031 are quite well maintained, with only a few big pot-holes. Parking extended from the lot and about a quarter mile down the road, quite a few hikers today. This is a really well-maintained and well-marked trail until the top; the first 2 miles or so are pretty steep switchbacks that go through woods and boulder fields - last bit of shade until the top! About 1 mile up I could start seeing Rainier to the south. Right after the sign for Mason Lake, at 2.8 miles, the trail goes straight up basically going up 500 feet in about 1/4 mile (from what I can tell on the map), through beautiful wildflowers. One of the other hikers referred to this as a longer version of Mailbox, so be prepared! It was pretty cool to stop and look at the view - field of flowers, people processing up the hill as if we were in some sort of pilgrimmage, and Rainier become more visible. After the scramble, there's a mile or so along the wooded ridgeline with snow off to the northern side but nothing on the trail. About 50 ft. of trail were a little muddy, otherwise this was all dry. I'm not sure I actually made it to the peak - there wasn't anything marking the top, but there was nowhere to go but down. Everyone else (about 30 people spread out at the "summit" while I was there) seemed to think this was the top.
  View: amazing, no clouds, we could see Rainier, Adams, Baker, Seattle, some of the Olympic peaks, absolutely amazing today. You could also see Mason Lake to the north a few thousand feet below the summit. Lots of bugs at the top, they bothered people but didn't seem to be stinging/biting.
  On the way down I took the 0.9 mile trail out to Mason Lake - a little uphill, then downhill all the way. The trail is a little muddy with 3 or so trees across the path at one point, branches have been cut off but apparently relatively recent and easily stepped over. Mason Lake itself was small, cold, clear, and tempting - I didn't jump in this time, but will definitely bring a towel next time.
  The overall round trip, including 20 minute lunch and occasional water breaks took about 4 hours for me with the initial climb to the top taking about 1:40. Glad I brought sunscreen, lots of water, wish I had a bathing suit.

What a gorgeous day to hike! Apparently, we weren't the only ones who thought so. The parking lot was jam-packed with cars clogging up the road a mile back by 10:00 a.m. The trail was maintained beautifully. Enough moisture below the surface to avoid dust, but dry enough to hike in non-water proof footwear (up the Bandera Mountain path, anyway). Once we broke through the tree-line, the sun was beating down but it was still cool enough to be comfortable. The one issue ... bugs. Once we scrambled up the last half-mile to reach the peak of Bandera, the bugs were at their thickest. I'd recommend bringing some bug spray and sunscreen. There was still a bit of snow up there which was a welcoming surprise for our dog who was hot after the hike up. We enjoyed the view for a few moments, explored the summit and headed back down. Onto the next ... Mason Lake. The trail to Mason Lake is much easier. Once we got closer to the lake there were a few blowdowns and mud on the trail. It was easy to navigate through. There were a lot less bugs by the lake so we were able to enjoy a lovely lunch while our black lab swam. There were plenty of rocks to perch on to enjoy some private time. Overall, it was a fantastic hike that's worth the drive from Seattle.

Dry starting out but not far up the Ira Spring trail the clouds engulfed us and kept everthing moist all day. We did see about a dozen others along the way that were going to either Bandera or Mason Lake. We continued on past Mason lake inspite of the poor visibility and snow-covered trail utilizing GPS and compass. The trail is seen in spots but even more visible on the west side of the ridge nearing the open meadow at 5000'. We circled around to the west and followed the way-trail to the top. Mountain-axe utilized on the steep ridge areas below 5000' but traction devices were not needed. Temperature check indicated 48° near the top. Crampons recommended with cooler temperatures earlier in the day when snow will be hard in the trees.
Many Glacier lily's just blooming with the receeding snow. Trail is quite muddy in the basin between Mason lake and the Defiance SE ridge.
Total time about 8 hours for the 10.4 mile round-trip.

http://www.flickr.com/[…]/

This is a great little hike just an hour from Seattle down I-90. (Exit 45, go under the freeway and stay straight on the road until you get to the end and the trailhead.) The trail has been recently maintained and is in perfect shape until just after the switchback leading down from the overlook. Then the trail turns to different levels of mud; however, you can keep your boots clean if you watch your step. The flowers and plants still look like it's spring time. They are just starting to reach full bloom. The maple trees at the top are opening their leaves. I noticed small helicopter seeds starting to form on the flowers. This hike will give you a good workout going up, and then lots to look at on the way down. Of course, lunch at the lake is a highlight, too.

This hike is extremely popular this year, because of the snow issue on other hikes along the I-90 corridor. There were cars parked about a mile down the forrest service road, as was the case last week. The bear grass, lupine and indian paintbrush are approaching full bloom, and although it was raining in Seattle, it was pleasant, cool hiking weather and we stayed above the clouds. The trail down to Mason Lake still has snow in places and a large blowdown that must be climbed over. This part of the trail is also becoming quite muddy, as the snow melts and the rains continue. There is no longer any ice on the lake, but bring a jacket, it is still September-chilly up there.

Left Seattle on Saturday afternoon around 1:30pm on a 60ish overcast day (so many lately) and arrived at the trailhead around 3pm.

Forest Service road to the trailhead is in excellent shape.

Put on the pack and hit the trail. Parking lot was full and ran into quite a few folks headed down on my way up. Weather cleared up around 4pm and I was met (at this point I wished it was cooler) with sunshine on the southern exposures. Trail snaked moderately but steadily up until veering off steeper and to the left at about the 1.5 mile mark. Elevation gain started in earnest here but was never too steep for my moderately in shape self carrying my roughly 30lb pack (tent, tarp, booze, food, etc).

Lots of nice wildflowers along the trail and plenty of photo ops on the way up. After a long traverse made my way to the boulder fields at around 4000 feet. Sun was beating down at this point and was happy to find the forest again about a half mile later. Descended into the lake basin and found I had the place to myself for the night. One minor blowdown blocked the trail to the lake, but I was able to work my way around with not much difficulty.

Weather held until around 8ish, when the thunder clouds rolled in. Cool scenery with the clouds rolling in and obscuring the lake, but the reality of a wet night quickly set in.

Woke up early and hit the trail at 7:45. Ran into a few real early birds on the way down and from the boulder fields I had an excellent view of a few higher peaks to the north west that had been hidden on the ascent. Made it back to the trailhead in only 2 hours. Parking lot was absolutely packed at this point. Big groups were headed out for the day. I seemed to find a nice window of solitude thankfully.

I def recommend this moderate hike to Mason Lake. I didn't do either summit option but really if you're in decent shape and only hauling around a day pack it shouldn't be that difficult.

A misty day with some peek-a-boo views. Trail is in good condition. The mist go heavier through the day. The Bandera mountain side trail was steep, a little slick and generally not worth it so we turned around with cold hands and continued on to Mason Lake. Wildflowers along the upper trail were lovely, especially beargrass (in full bloom lower and beginning on the side of Bandera), bunchberry (thick as thieves), and lupine. The show is just beginning. Best flowers were large patches of twinflower (linnea borealis) on the low trail, starflower in the middle trail and alpine wintergreen higher up. There were garden mixes of blooms. Everything was green and lush. The lake has some snow patches and beyond the lake is still snowy. This trail will be much better on a clear day, but it was nice hiking in the coolness (too cool on the side of Bandera). In about a week the best of the flower show should be in full swing here. Finally, we have intimations of summer coming to the mid-high country west of Snoqualmie Pass.

We arrived at the Trailhead at 8:30. The parking lot was already full which was expected on this beautiful Saturday. There was only one small patch of snow that was easily crossed near the top. The trail is dry with only a couple very small spots that had a little mud.

This is the first time I climbed Bandera. It was a bit more difficult and had a little more scrambling at the top than I had expected. One person actually fell pretty hard near the top on a scrambling section. We made sure he was OK. It looked like he had a pretty good cut on his elbow. It was very scary and I'm hoping that was the extent of the injury.

On the way down we passed at least a hundred people. On the way out the cars were lined at least a half mile down the forest service road.

The road is open to the parking lot, the trail is clear all the way up to the Ira Springs Memorial, at the crest of the ridge.
ROAD CONDITIONS: There is construction on the road, very passable with even a Civic. We did however pick up a jagged piece of metal near the construction site, and ruined our tire.
FOUND SUNGLASSES: There was a pair of sunglasses (prescription I think) left at the trail head. I really think they were there last Thursday, so I've brought them home. If you've lost yours, email my temporary address: (in2vancarter@gmail.com).
LOST KNIFE: Also lost a great folding knife at the top, if you've found it, there's a nominal reward for it's return. Please email me.

The trail is in great shape all the way to Mason Lake, with only a very small amount of snow on the trail; easily passable. The lake is still mostly covered in ice with clearing near the log jam only. There’s lots of water coming out of the lake which makes crossing the little creek a little tricky, but doable. Past Mason Lake is completely covered in snow.

Road to the trail head was in great shape. Lots of cars in the parking lot at 1:15pm. Trail was in great shape all the way up to the "Y" junction between Ira Spring trail and Bandera Mtn trail. The trail towards Mason Lake had significant amounts of snow and following the trail near the lake area got difficult that we just turned around rather than get lost trying to find a trail with all the snow. Beautiful views of Mt Rainier and the I-90 corridor. Took a break at the Ira Spring plaque just on the side of the Alpine Wilderness marker. Picture perfect blue sky day!!

Snow from the ridge all the way down to the lake. Lake still frozen over, threw the biggest stick I could find out onto the lake and it stayed atop the water which was slush as best. 3-4 feet of snow everywhere around the lake.

Finally, a free day and it's sunny - to the mountains!

Arrived at trailhead 9:30 am. Cool and sunny; perfect hiking weather. Up the steady, snow-free trail (2 patches just before the trail split). Quite a few folks on this gorgeous day. With this late spring, trillium still blooming!

At split to Mason Lake, headed up to Bandera. Haven't done this one in years, and the knees not quite used to it. Met 2 people on the trail; Jack, Nancy; and played some leapfrog. Straight up to the ridgeline, where trail moves onto snow and a view of Mason Lake, still entirely frozen.

Up ridge, mostly in snow, in and out of evergreens. Plenty of footsteps to follow. Heard the low grunty call of a ptarmigan or grouse. Emerging from trees, follow the boulders up to Little Bandera summit. Can go on the snow to the left if want to.

Several people at the summit with 360'view. Can see 3 lakes, all frozen. Rainier in all its glory and Adams peeking out. Spiky Kaleetan Peak (as informed by Jack). Basked in the perfect view and temperature for some lunch. One person returning from the snowy traverse to Bandera proper, but I'll stop here, as nearly all do.

On my way down, many people coming up (one woman with 2 boys who looked around 8 impressed me!) I was glad to have my poles for the big steps down.

Back to the car 2-ish. A wonderful first alpine hike of the season!

Trail to Mason/Bandera junction has one snow patch in the last few hundred yards which should be gone within a week. Above that, there is snow on the Bandera trail as you meet the ridge for a short distance, then the ridge trail is snow free until about 300 yards from the summit. There is a clear boot path that is easy to follow and relatively risk free.

Mason Lake trail has snow as soon as you go over the ridge. There is an initial patch next to the rock outcrop/cliff just over the ridge that is steep, slippery, and the consequences a slip are probably pretty serious. Beyond that the trail is clear for a short distance then solid snow to the lake. The bootpath goes high and arrives at the lake SE of where the trail is on the next cove along the lake shore. It appears that all of the campsites have snow but are melting out.

No wildflowers yet but the bugs aren't biting either.

FS road 9031 is in the best shape I have ever seen it. It has been graded and potholes minimalized. The trail itself has been extensively improved as well. The first part has been graded and smoothed. The washouts have been repaired. The trail is clean, clear, and dry all the way up to the last switchback before the Mason Lake-Bandera summit junction. The first snowfield is a small one but steep and slushy. The second is a big one that covers the upper and lower trail. It is very steep and exposed. The snow is slushy. There are boot tracks but poles are definitely needed. There are two small snowfields from the junction to the Mason Lake ridgeline and these are easy to cross.

Not so beyond the ridgeline. There is a very steep corniced snow blockage right after the ridgeline. Snow dominates the trail from here to the lake. It is difficult to find the trail amongst the salt and pepper mottled snow but in general head for the noise of the lake spillway and you'll be fine. The snow is compact and easy to tread without trax or gaiters. I crossed the spillway without difficulty and found a nice rock in the sun on which to sit. Lake Mason is mostly iced over.

A very nice side trip worth doing is to go around the hill to visit Little Mason Lake. Few people go there. It is private and easily accessed now across the snow. Later the way will be muddy, wet, and overgrown.

By the way, there is a newt living in the outhouse. Very cute. Stunted tail.

Trail is in great condition and pretty much dry until 3870 ft. To get to the ridge, there are 1 small and 2 big stretches of snow to cross. We were fine without extra traction but had ice axes, poles and gaiters (defintely saw some people with microspikes. We brought snow shoes but didn't end up using them). A pretty well beaten boot track exists through those snow fields.

We heard Mason Lake was still snowed in, so headed up the Bandera Mountain Trail at the fork. This trail becomes a scramble up to the ridge, but happily the main path is dry with the exception of a bit of snow melt at the top.

More snow up on the ridge, well packed in places and mushy in others, generally a good boot trail (although it was a bit slick coming down). Snow pack is starting to melt around the rocks and trees, so beware of postholing around these obstacles. A member of my group went hip deep into one by some rocks. A little ways up the ridge, solid ground is available as an alternative to hiking on the snow and goes almost all the way to the Little Bandera Summit where we turned back. Great views all around, especially of the frozen lakes, McClellan Butte and Mount Defiance. There's a nice rock for lunch at the top.

~7.4 miles + ~3,000 ft elevation gain + >4 hrs. We met many friendly hikers on the trip, however, it was thankfully not a Mount Si highway.

Finally, enough snow has melted for us to make it to the top of Little Bandera. Yaw hoo!!

We arrived at the trail head around 11am, and to my surprise there were many other cars in the parking lot. The road in does have a few potholes, but some work has been done since we visited a month ago.

The trail too has had work done, fixing several damaged locations. Thanks to the crews who maintains these trails. This trail is now in pretty good shape.

Going up the trail we did not encounter snow until we neared the rock fields around 3800’ elevation. I was a bit nervous crossing the second of two snow fields, as these are on the steep slopes in the rock fields. These fields are about 50 yards across.

When the trail split, with one route going to Mason Lake and the other going to Bandera, we chose Bandera. Several hikers told us that there was too much snow to get in to Mason Lake, unless you really know that area and know where to go. The climb to Bandera is a scramble going up, as some people did use hands as they climbed the steep slope. The bear grass is growing again and the Trillium flowers are blooming. When we neared the ridge line, we again encountered snow. Most of the last quarter was in snow, except for portions of the rocky ridge line.

From the top of Little Bandera, we could see the frozen lakes below (Mason, Island, Blazer, and Kulla Kulla), as well as many snow top mountains in the Cascades. We had no bug problem but we did returen with a little sun burn.

Perfect bluebird day in the 70s. Hit snowline around 3700 ft and it was all snow from there. See the full summit log and photos here: http://peakery.com/little-bandera-mountain/

Our original destination was Defiance, again. After hiking the Ira Spring trail (departing the trailhead at 0920) and hiking to about 3700', where the trail becomes continuously snow-covered, we went directly up to the saddle (4300') that goes down to Mason Lake. There were no tracks or route to be seen going down the very steep slope to the Lake, and we knew there would be no view on Defiance. So seeing no improvement in the weather, we decided on the alternate, Bandera. We took the ridgeline up through the dripping wet trees and arrived on Bandera's west summit at 1250. No views today. We had lunch, took some photos and made a loop down the open slope, intersecting the trail below, and returning to the trailhead at 1510.
Snow conditions were good going up and great for plunge-stepping or glissading, coming down. We carried snowshoes and traction devices but only trekking poles were needed as temperatures hovered in the upper 30's.
The Ira Spring trail has two 5-6" diameter trees over the trail just above the Mason Creek culvert and TrailD on the map indicates damage to the trail, on a steep slope, from a fallen Alder tree rootball that pulled out of the trail. None impedes travel on the trail.
http://www.flickr.com/[…]/

Route 9031 to the parking lot was full of pot holes, be careful some are really deep. Started about noon and took us about 2 hours to get to the ridge, had about 25 to 30lb packs on. Hit snow at about 45 minutes in. The snow got pretty deep just after the point where the trail shifts from going East to going West. Trail to the ridge is compacted, however, if you step off the main trail though you will be up to about your waist in some places. Treking poles and microspikes were helpful.

We were originally going to try to head up Bandera Mountain, however there was no beaten out trail yet, although there were tracks leading up that way. We very breifly tried to follow them but the snow was too deep and the weather was starting to change. Snow is still pretty deep near the ridge and if you head up to Bandera snow shoes seem like they would be useful.

We got to the ridge but did not head down towards Mason Lake, a couple of experienced hikers were coming up and said that they would not recommend the route because the trail was not compacted and they were sinking in pretty deep.

Still the views were fantastic from the ridge. And the couple of waterfall crossing were impressive.

Beautiful day for a hike. Finally some warm weather, with temps around North bend in the mid 60's. We drove to Talapus Trail head just to check out the road. The drive was very doable, and only found a little snow in the trail head parking lot. On to Ira Spring Trailhead. No snow in the parking lot. We climbed about 1000 feet to 3200 before finding snow. The trail was very good, with just a few spots to watch. We found some snow in the Avalanche chute that we recently encountered an avalanche, but this time the trail was starting to show and was easily passable. We put on snow shoes, but could have hiked without them. At around 3800 foot elevation, the trail vanished, but hikers were turning and climbing straight up the snow toward Bandera Mt. We hike for a ways, but found it hard going. We stopped for lunch on the slope before returning. The snow was deep and getting soft in the open slope, but stayed firm in the trees. We found a few Bear grass starting and a few Western Trilliums. (Sorry for the single paragraphs, but the editor is not accepting carriage returns).

Showers were forcast for Tuesday's hike. We first attempted to drive to Talapus trail head but 1.6 miles from the split between FS road 9030 and 9031, we encountered snow on the road. Driving through the snow did not seem safe, so we headed back to Ira Springs trail head. The road was in good condition, with a few pot holes, bolders, and trees were on the road.

No snow in the parking lot, we started our hike around noon, leaving our snow shoes in the car (a mistake). The trail head elevation is 2180 feet. As we ascended we encountered a few short patches of snow, until we were at 3000 foot elevation. From here, we could have used our snow shoes. The snow was mostely packed, with some ice.

At around 3400 foot, we came to an avalanche chute, where the trail had been wiped out by an avalanche. We managed to cross the slope, holding a few downed small tree branches. We continued to around 3600 foot elevation where we came to the switchback. With a storm coming in and having stepped into snow above my knee several times, we turned back. It was snowing as we started back.

Right after crossing the avalanche chute again, we stopped for lunch. Hearing the sound of a river, we turned to see that another avalanche was coming through the chute. It flowed like a river (stream) for about 5 minutes. Sure glad we were not caught in the middle of the chute when the avalance came down.

This trail also crosses a couple nice water falls and streams.

Road to trail head is fine. Has some pot holes but my low Audi 4x4 handled it just fine.

Wearing normal boots only with poles, Trail starts out dry and quickly turns to patches of snow and then leads into full compact snow. Half of the Time, the snow is hard and Icey in shaded areas, but then wet and soft in sunny areas. I sunk so far on one step that my friend had to help dig me out.

I don't feel there's much to report on except, don't plan on making it to the top without snow shoes. We were following someone's tracks and we ended up being off th trail. We set up off the trail to sleep because it was pitch black out. I will return to complete this hikE later as the Rainer views are incredible.

Roads to trailhead - 9030 and 9031 are open and passable, albeit a little dicey.
Including some early photos of the hike, Trail was deep snow about halfway up.