This is a super popular trail so I wanted to get to the trail early.
The road up is rough but I went slow and tried to avoid the potholes in my low clearance car! As other trip reports have said, the biggest one is the one where the tarmac ends.
I arrived at 07.15 to a chilly trailhead (my car read 44F) and snagged one of the last spots in the lot (many of the cars had frost on them so I assume they’re camping). The vault toilet was unlocked but I didn’t use it so can’t comment on the condition.
It was gorgeous day for a trail run. The sun was out and a nice reprieve from the sweltering temps last week! This would be a good run/hike on a hotter day because it’s completely tree-covered. It’s pretty moderate in terms of grade but the tree roots and trail rocks are pretty intense so I had to walk quite a lot. I only saw two groups on my way up to Olallie Lake. The lake was stunning as usual and saw a few campers around the shore. I took a quick break and headed back down.
On my way down, I passed about 20 groups of humans and dogs but it didn’t feel too crowded. Also it seems like good samaritans have tidied up the dog poop bags and dog humans have shaped up. Thank you! When I got back to the car, the lot was overflowing and cars were parked about 1/2 mile down the road.
Total distance: 6 miles
Elevation gain: 1,227ft
Total time (trail run): 2 hours 10 mins
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