WATCH OUT FOR WASPS! On the trail to Rachel lake, we encountered multiple wasp/hornet nests. We knew from a previous trip report to watch out for a nest on the trail, and while we were careful and identified that nest, we ran into another nest on the way down. My friend was stung multiple times, and it was a scary experience. If you have a known allergy, I might avoid this trail this summer. Both nests were about 15-30 minutes down from Rachel, and one of them was on the right side of the trail (ascending) on the ground among the roots. I wish I had thought to mark the locations on our map; maybe another group could do this in the future.
We also ran into a person who had twisted their ankle on the descent from Rachel Lake. All in all, a good reminder to keep my emergency medical kit stocked.
Mosquitoes and biting flies were a strong annoyance, but not nearly as bad as the previous reports described. We were relatively comfortable sitting by Rachel Lake in our bathing suits, and for us, the worst bugs were actually higher up on the Alta Mountain trail and in the forest in the evening. Bug spray helped a bit but didn't completely stop them.
Otherwise, the trail was beautiful and as expected. Lovely meadows and waterfalls on the first half of the trail to Rachel, then a steep and rocky/rooty ascent to Rachel. We all swam in Rachel and it was cold but the not the worst. We then ascended up to the Alta Mountain trail and made it about 2/3 of the way up to Alta before deciding to enjoy the already incredible views and turn around. I personally found the descent challenging as the trail is very steep and there is lots of loose sand and rocks.
There were ripe blueberries throughout the hike, but the best were in a huge field on the Alta Mountain trail. Absolute bliss eating the sweet berries while looking at endless peaks all around.
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