Lovely hike! I do enjoy the higher elevations. The landscape and foliage are always so much more varied. I was concerned that starting through a ski area would really take away from the experience, but it didn't for me. It certainly felt more serene that just about anything off I-90 even with a few ski lifts in the view.
You get wildflower meadows, views, woods, cute ponds, a workout, and of course a gorgeous lake at the end. It's fun to see all the PCT through-hikers since I fantasize about doing that myself one day. The trail wasn't crowded but also wasn't lonely. There were two other groups at the lake when I got there midday on an August Sunday with perfect weather.
And pay attention to the directions on how to get down to the lake! After the intersection with trail 1551, the PCT continues on a bit to the overlook of the lake. That's the main picture on the top of the WTA trail description. I kept going on the PCT after that thinking it would go down. It became clear it did not. I had to backtrack, reread the trail description, and realize it says "follow Trail 1551 down half a mile to the lake." There is a sign at Trail 1551 that says, "No campfires within 1/2 mile of lake." Go that way (left) to go down. Go straight there for the overlook.
Some people are saying they encountered a lot of bugs. We did not on a sunny day in the 70s between 10:00 and 4:00. I probably felt the need to swat less than five times all day.
Have fun!
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