This hike was fine except for the fact we could not find the lake. Not sure if mileage is correct but after 3 miles on the main trail, there was no lake to be found. We hike back to other trail to Deep Lake and went in about l/2 mile there in hopes of finding it but no luck. Had good views and nice hike but disappointed we could not find lake. Road in did cross stream but no problem. We traveled almost 12 miles on forest road which should be noted as it is a long and endless drive to trailhead without this bit of information. Would love to find the lake someday as other reports sound really nice === don't know what was wrong with us!!!

NOTE: The road fjord at Scatter Creek is like a whole whopping 4" now. I can certainly see it being a problem earlier in the year but is not any issue currently. I was originally planning on heading onto Cathedral Rock and maybe Peggy's Pond but once I arrived at the lake I was the only soul there. So I claimed it to myself, sat on a log, and had a nice read. Even the bugs left me alone. The trail climbs easy and steady and all junctions were clearly marked. Really not much to report of interest other than it is a pretty little lake that's relatively easy to get to.

A veteran backpacker recommended this trip to me as a great "starter trip": I was accompanied by my 12 year old daughter, and it was only her second backpacking trip, so I wanted it to be wildly successful so that instead of saying "Mom, I wanna go to the mall" she'd say "Let's go backpacking again!" I think we had great success. :-) We didn't have any trouble on the road in, although as another trip report showed, there is a river over the road. It's not shallow by any means, but my friend's SUV had no issue getting across. I wouldn't go in a sedan, but an SUV is fine and I think my Subaru Forester would have been okay, too (although it made me nervous). The trail is lovely. Beautiful forest with many wildflowers; we saw orchids, trilliums galore, bunchberry, lupine, and many, many more varieties. There were patches of snow as we got towards the lake, but much less than I'd read on the last trip report before we went. It's melting quickly, and while we were at camp we could see it recede and puddle. We had no difficulty finding a campsite, even on a sunny long weekend. There was a fire pit and enough room for two tents - perfection. I was also delighted to find a pit toilet, which while backpacking feels like the height of luxury! We could hear frogs at night, and we watched a family of bufflehead ducks paddle around the lake; we watched an osprey fishing as well. The second day we hiked towards Cathedral Rock, and ran into many day hikers doing the same thing. We encountered snow fields that were deep but quickly melting, and unfortunately my lanky dog was sinking into the soft snow up to his armpits with every step, so we decided not to go all the way to the rock, but had a great picnic on a dry spot of ground, surrounded by snow. The girls took a shiny thermal blanket and turned it into a sled, and snow angels were made.....all in shorts, because it was warm and sunny. It was gorgeous and perfect and I loved every second! I would do this hike again in a heartbeat. I'll bet that within a few weeks the wildflowers up top will be in full bloom, and I can't wait to go back to check it out. How we had backpacking success with 12 year girls: Step one: 12 year olds only want to do things with other 12 year olds. We invited another mother daughter duo who were up for adventure. Success! The girls bonded, and so did the moms. Step two: We kept it short. The hike to Mason Lake is only 2.5 miles, so incredibly doable, even though there is some elevation climb. We set up camp, and did a day hike, so that we still got to move but it wasn't too strenuous. We hiked up day one, camped, day hiked day two, camped, and then came home on the third day. It would have been doable as a day hike no problem, but we wanted to backpack. :-) Step three: Lake swimming. Anything with swimming is FUN! Step four: We brought great (if heavy) food. Eggs, cheese, and tortillas for breakfast; spaghetti with home made meat sauce for dinner; lots of snacks. The end result is that the girls want to do this "all the time" and we plan to work up to longer distances. Hurrah!

Our trip did not go as planned but this was a very easy hike and a great place for a one night overnight. We were mistaken by how long off the interstate it would take to get to the trailhead (2 hrs). The FS rd, 4330 is not clearly marked but the alternative is left over a bridge into a dead end camping area. Stay right up the gravel road marked for Salmon La Sac. It's not in great condition, has tons of pot holes and takes a very long time to get to the Cathedral Rock Trailhead, 10 miles after turning off the paved road. There is a section about 8 miles in where the road crosses Scatter Creek but there is no bridge so the water is high on the road. We have a Subaru CrossTreck and were ok, we just went slow. Anything lower wouldn't be able to pass. Once we finally made it to the trailhead we were the only car in the "lot". There is a board with info and a bathroom that was out of TP. No biggy this early in the season as it's not maintained during the off season. The trail was nice, narrow and fairly clear of debris, some downed trees but kicked out of the way. The trail climbs steadily after the first 1/2 mile. About mile 2 you hit snow for the rest of the way. The trail was difficult to follow at times as there were no markings on trees, but luckily someone went before us so we followed their tracks. We rested at Squaw Lake and had lunch before heading on to our intended destination of Peggy's Pond. We hiked about 30 more minutes and decided to forgo that plan because of the snow. We were moving too slow and it was too slushy. We turned around and camped at Squaw for the night. We were the only one's there and were able to snag a lake front sight and one of the 3 that wasn't covered in snow. It was warm, bug free and beautiful. It didn't get too cold at night but we had warm clothes and the luxury of a fire. You will definitely want gaters and extra time as the snow is slushy and in places pretty deep. Plenty of places to stop for water on the way. I saw a sigh for toilets but never found them. This would be a great hike for families, or just to get away for a night.

We headed out Saturday morning to Lake Cle Eum-Salmon La Sac and 11 miles more up to the Deep Lake Cathedral Pass trailhead. A Bright and cold Sunny day perfect for late fall hiking 34 degrees. Within minutes, we faced a nearly impassable furious creek. Were a little wet but we kept on going. We gained nearly 1500 ft. in 2-1/2 miles with multiple switchbacks. Arrived at Squaw lake around 3:00 pm little snow everywhere. Set up camp and tried to start a fire - nothing but soaked wood. We were successful and really needed it for warmth. At 9:30 pm the temp dropped to 24 degrees and hit the sack. Woke up to fresh snow everywhere. About 1/2 inch. Fire stilled had coals so we re-stoked it. What a blessing to get warm. My 0 degree bag kept me toastee roastee. After a long fireside breakfast, we decided to head back down with a greater chance of snow coming our way at 5100 feet. I have not been on this trail since the late 1970's. Tough hike for old legs but great for the heart and soul. I will be ready for next year if my hip settles down. Planning my 65th birthday hike already: Pacific Crest Trail- Deception Pass to Stevens Pass.