Hiked this trail yesterday with some friends - two moms and a pack of kids. Road up to the trailhead was rutted and bumpy, nothing extreme but definitely requiring some additional attention while you are driving. We arrived about 10am and parked about 1/2 mile down the road from the Mowich campsites. Trail was in great condition and, while crowded, mask use was pretty consistent and people were giving a lot of space.
Mosquitos at the lake were pretty aggressive, and our swimming time resulted in a lot of bug bites. Views from the lookout were spectacular. We saw St. Helens, Glacier Peak, the Stuart Range, and, of course, Rainier in all its glory. We also saw a deer, many frogs and salamanders, and two bears! A park volunteer told us that the bears had been seen consistently in the area lately. Both bears were enjoying the meadows on the hillside between the lookout and the lake. As far as we could see, everyone was keeping a safe distance from the bears. We watched them from the lakeshore for a few hours!
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