Got to the trailhead at 10:45 and there was still space in the upper lot. The road in was quite nice, not many potholes at all and doable for almost any car. The bathroom even had a roll of TP!
For the trail, the description on the WTA website is surprisingly accurate, with rocks and roots the whole way up. There are four notably brushy sections that could benefit from some TLC, as well as six logs across the trail of varying sizes. Most are easy to step over, but there is one impressively large one and one you have to duck under as well. Less than a half mile from the lake, the trail did indeed get a little confusing, but following the streambed upwards worked well. On hot days such as this, the streams across the trail are lovely to dip my hat and shirt in to cool off.
Rachel Lake is beautiful, but I think all mountain lakes are beautiful so I might be biased. The water was chilly, but not too cold for a dunk. There were fish splashing in the water, but a good amount of bugs and bees when the wind died down intermittantly. We ate lunch, dried off, and headed back out the way we came.
8 miles and 2000 feet of total elevation gained. Saw roughly 20 others on the trail today, did not feel overcrowded or deserted.
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