Rainy Lake — Tuesday, Jun. 17, 2025

I was hoping the lower Rainy Creek valley would be a nice stroll so I was greatly surprised!  As soon as the Rainy Lake trail leaves the Middle Fork trail (1/2 mile from cars) it starts its fisherman path reputation.  Narrow, lots of rocks and tree roots, and not very smooth.  Although I enjoyed the valley, I won't be taking my seldom-hiking friends there!

I only had time to go in ~2 miles, to 1800'.  After a steep 1/2 mile the RL trail starts to level out although there's still some up and down. You also begin to see the creek more and there's an easy downhill side trip to the water at one point. When you continue beyond that "intersection" look back so that you remember it on the way back.  It's easy to accidentally take the side path on the return! If you follow that path downstream, it peters out and you can do a short bushwhack back to the real trail above you.

The valley walk is over at 1.4 miles as the trail heads up diagonally, cutting the slow turn that the creek makes.  You meet the creek again at 1.7 miles. The cliffs on the south side of Stegosaurus Butte play peekaboo through the trees.  I found the best view of them downhill of the trail just before the diagonal goes aggressively up at ~1500'. Perhaps there are better views higher up but I didn't go beyond 2 miles.

The RL trail has a few large muddy spots near the beginning.  Be careful about some of the slanting rocks being slippery all along the trail.  I imagine the many unavoidable tree roots would be slippery on a rainy day.  Most of the cross streams in the valley area are dry and the rest are simple to step across.

Flowers appear occasionally in the always-shaded forest: creeping dogwood, queens cup, candyflower, and coralroot. Plenty of Salmonberry (mostly on the MF trail) being eaten as soon as they ripen. Huckleberry and Blueberry will be available later this summer. The drive in to the trailhead passes lots of foxglove!

On this Tuesday there were only 6 cars at 9 am.  22 at noon although the parking lot could easily hold 3 times that. No paper at the trailhead toilet. I met one couple coming down from a 3-mile explore, and another going up for an overnight at the lake.

I was surprised that the first 1/2 mile on the MF trail was starting to be overgrown. Between that and the lack of TP I suspect many other trails will be less taken care of this season.  Obviously the Rainly Lake trail is overgrown. Bring your clippers!