We arrived around noon on a lovely Friday; the parking lots were about 3/4 full. The first 2.7 miles or so are pretty easy going, gaining about 500 ft. It's a bit steep at first before hitting a lovely meadow where the trail flattens out. At end of the meadow (mile 2.7) the trail steepens dramatically and the climbing doesn't stop until you hit the lake. You gain about 1400 feet in less that 2 miles; the grade is 20% in places, with lots of rocks, root ladders and walking in the creek. Trekking poles help a lot and really save your knees on the descent. The steep section is mostly in deep shade and never far from water (and sometimes in it). At one point the trail crosses the creek just below a lovely waterfall. Rachel Lake is beautiful and some people were swimming. If you have time, it's worth continuing past the lake up to Rampart Ridge, gaining another 600 feet or so. This trail is in much better shape than the steep section up to Rachel Lake.
Note that this hike is very popular. It was very busy on a Friday; aim for mid-week if you can. If you go on a weekend, try to get an early start to beat the crowds.
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