Three beautiful backcountry lakes tucked in a hidden valley surrounded by craggy summits await at the end of this arduous hike. A boot-beaten path that leaves you beat, the Mildred Lakes Trail was forged by tenacious fishermen and masochistic hikers. An entanglement of roots, slippery rocks, and an up-and-down course that defies logic, this hike is about the destination, not the journey. But boy is the fishing good; that's what lures most visitors to these aquatic gems.

Everything you've heard or read about this hike is true: it's a bear. Never officially constructed, this trail resembles little more than a way path, especially the second half. We're talking

no-frills hiking here. Beginning at the end of the Hamma Hamma Road near a dramatic gorge and waterfall (did you peek over the bridge?), Mildred Lakes Trail no. 822 immediately enters the Mount Skokomish Wilderness.

Winding through recovering wilderness (the area was logged decades ago), the first mile or so is easy enough. But once you cross a large avalanche chute, the misery begins. Around fallen logs, over fallen logs, and straight-up rocky and rooty slopes the trail climbs a 3200-foot ridge. Mount Pershing looms in the southeast.

Through hemlock and huckleberry the trail hightails it off the ridge, dropping 250 feet into a cool forested glen graced by a rushing creek. Cross it on a questionable log (or wade), and within two minutes come to another creek crossing, this one much easier. Now the way gets tricky and even tougher. Ascending a steep ridge, upward mobility is temporarily halted upon coming to a ravine. Using roots as handholds, drop 25 feet into the dank draw before resuming the taxing climb. After clambering over rock, root, and ledge-and gaining 1000 feet in elevation-the insanity ends on a 4100-foot heather-draped ridge crest. Wander along the open ledge, enjoying excellent views of Mount Cruiser and the Sawtooth Range, but no lakes.

Your punishment isn't actually over. Drop 200 feet through marshy mosquito breeding grounds before finally coming to the first lake (elev. 3800 ft). Set in deep old timber with a backdrop of rugged summits, the scene is serene and it's all yours-you deserve it. Scramble over more root and rock to the far side of the lake for good fishing and resting posts. Share the abundant trout with the resident osprey.

If not totally spent, consider checking out the other two lakes. To reach Upper Mildred, one of the largest backcountry lakes in the Olympics, cross Lower Mildred's inlet stream and follow a rough path for 0.3 mile. The third Mildred can be reached by following a rudimentary path north from the upper lake's outlet creek.