Cora Lake — Nov. 7, 2008

South Cascades > White Pass/Cowlitz River Valley

4 photos

Beware of: trail conditions

This is the short side of the trail, a 1/2 mile hike to the lake from the 8420. I made this trip fully knowing I might not be able to complete it solo due to the extra-heavy rains on the 6th. (The Carbon & Nisqually Rivers were well over flood stage on the 6th) The trail has mostly become a stream bed. When it's not draining off a heavy rain from the surrounding hill, like today, it's still gullied and generally not very pleasant to work around. The trail crosses Big Creek twice towards the end as it switches back up the hill, and this crossing has gotten progressively worse. The first crossing is near a drop-off on your left, so be extra careful. Even the crossings themselves are inconsistent and uneven. On this particular day, for example, the stream and falls were lovely to behold in their awesome power, but I did not even consider attempting to cross because it was simply WAY too dangerous, and I am fairly experienced in hiking and stream crossing. I have put in a request to the FS to at least add a guide-cable or something on the lower crossing due to it's proximity to a steep drop off. I have also requested them to consider the feasibility of an official reroute so that the trail doesn't cross big creek twice, but realistically, given the terrain, that's probably not going to happen. In the meantime, be careful on these crossings. The stream can be a trickle in summer, but in the Spring and Fall it can be a monster.

Cora Lake #251 — Jun. 16, 2007

South Cascades > White Pass/Cowlitz River Valley

willi the wanderer

Beware of: snow conditions

hiked with dog from road 8440 for both of us to get exercise. IT was overcast and slightly raining which meant trail to ourselves. Some small patches of snow but able to pass through and remain on trail. some blowdowns. made it to lake, fish were jumping, tried a few casts myself but was getting cold so headed back. was surpised by amount of garbage along lake, shotgun shells, broken glass, etc. but then again i shouldn't be based on easy road access...

Bertha May and Granite Lakes, Cora Lake, Teeley Creek — Sep. 18, 2000

South Cascades > White Pass/Cowlitz River Valley

Robert Rosen

50

1 person found this report helpful

Two years ago on a sunny Sunday in mid-September, I made my first visit to Sawtooth Ridge area soutwest of Mt. Rainier park, going to High Rock. This time it was another sunny Sunday in mid-September, but this time I chose a different trail. Only this one had one-fifth as many cars or people -- we met just one other party of three people and dogs each. And while it didn't have the view you get from High Rock, it did provide three good-sized lakes in a 3- to 4- mile round-trip hike. The trail started by skirting a clearcut (but giving views of Mt. Rainier as compensation), rounded lower Bertha May lake (the smallest of the three), and met the Osborne Mountain trail (I think) at about 3/4 mile. Another 1/2 mile with some steep uphill led to the second and larger of the Bertha May lakes. Although this had the roomiest shoreline spot that we encountered, we continued another half-mile or so to check out the third and largest of the trio, Granite Lake, where we encountered the forementioned one other party of the day. Here also the High Rock lookout came into view far above. The shoreline of both upper lakes were swarming with tadpoles. If you are so inclined, you could continue another 3.5 miles on the trail to a fourth lake (Cora Lake). We weren't. The Forest Service report appears to say that we couldn't have made it anyway. One reason for the lack of people might be finding the trailhead. The turnoff to the High Rock turnoff from FR 52 does say ""Teeley Creek trail"" -- but that's as much direction as you get. Luckily I had a map showing we needed to turn on road #8410 after 1.5 miles, but even then I had to double back and look hard to spot the sign saying ""8410"".

Cora Lake #251 — Jul. 28, 2000

South Cascades > White Pass/Cowlitz River Valley

wandering wombat

1 person found this report helpful

A short 1/2 mile hike to a pretty alpine lake under High Rock( near the Nisqually entrance to MRNP) and it's lookout 1500' or so above the lake's SW far end (you can just see the lookout building's roof waaay up there). The elev. gain is unknown but is moderate, following Big Crk. to it's source at the lake. Follow directions from my report of High Rock on 7/29/00, taking FS Rd. 8420, a spur from Rd. 84. The trailhead is on the left just before the road obviously dwindles to an unmaintained status (a sign says so). The trailhead has a small sign ""Cora Lake 1/2 mi."") The trail climbs thru forest & soon glimpses & sounds of the creek begin, and several easy creek crossings are made with a variety of waterfalls present. Soon Cora is reached, with a nice but not very private campsite where the trail pops out of the woods. I saw one other campspot and imagine more are out there. It was a hot day so I took a dive into the waters, surprised by the relative warmth near shore-- very refreshing. Lots of bugs, this seems to be a nasty season for them per other reports. Saw no one in the early afternoon I was on the trail and lake, until a family of four carrying fishing poles passed by while I was beginning to head down. This is a gem of a short little hike to a beautiful lake.