Cathedral Rock — Saturday, Aug. 3, 2024

I think this is actually a 9 mile hike according to my GPS. Overall, the incline is pretty gradual and the trail is well maintained. lots of wildflowers right now and there were a few huckleberries coming in. it was also fun to see 3 lakes along the trail - some people were overnighting at noh noh (squak) at 2.7 miles in, but it didn't look packed for a Saturday. the bugs were buzzing me the entire hike and i had to eat my sandwich walking in circles to try to keep them from eating me alive. used a Japanese bug spray- still came back with 10 bites. it's pretty quiet, and most of the hikers I did see were coming home off the pacific crest trail. I'm not a strong hiker - it took me 6 hours total.

the parking is a complete zoo though due to all the backpackers hiking to Jade Lake, so you'll likely be parking a mile away from the trailhead. road there is rough, including a creek crossing with 18 inches of water, that I managed in my hatchback, but I'm not sure if that was smart...