Mineral Creek — Saturday, Jun. 21, 2025

I drove the van up to the trailhead Friday night seeking better weather and escape from the rain.  Didn’t sleep well, woke up at 4 am and was on the trail by 4:30 am - dark - headlamp.  Not sure what happened to the trail head sign or the connector trail down to the creek - but it seemed gone - a faint trail was easier to see in the light when I returned but I in the dark I stumbled through to the creek - didn’t feel like trying to cross on any of the logs in the dark  and so just walked across the creek - I knew I’d be getting soaked anyway - since it was raining and things grow along trails here in the PNW.

Couple of blow downs that you can crawl over and tromp around.  At around 1 mile when the trail crosses the creek again - the usual trail drops you out a bit higher, but there are sticks across the trail leading you to the creek and you can cross on a large tree that has fallen across the creek though it requires some nimble tree scrambling. 

The sign marks the Alpine Lakes - from there the trail is thick with deer ferns, and some brushing foliage.  At times the ferns are chest deep and you will get soaked from the rain on the brush/ferns.  Good news is that the major brushing of the vine maple a while back still holds and the heavy bushwhacking is no longer necessary.  At around 3.5 miles and hit the small talus field - from there you climb up through mature forest to Park Lakes. By then the rain had turned to sleet and I couldn’t really feel my feet or hands so I turned around and made my way down.