TL;DR - Pack your bug spray for this one, and maybe hiking poles if you have them.
More details:
My plan today was Alta Mountain or Alta Mountain Tarns, but by the time I got to Rachel Lake it was windy and rainy and everything above the lake was in the clouds, so I turned around at the lake.
The road in wasn't too bad, just a little bit of washboard. There were very few cars in the lot (it was Wednesday). Of the 15 or so people I encountered, about half were heading in to camp.
The trail needs a little work right now. There are multiple blowdowns. Only two of them were challenging to cross. The brushy parts on the valley walk portion are closing in on the trail. If there's been rain or dew, you'll get wet from the brush. Since there was light rain today, my legs got soaked.
There are quite a few water crossings still, especially in the first portion of the trail, but there's nothing you can't cross in trail runners if you're careful. Poles might help.
When the elevation starts, the trail braids in a few places. It's pretty easy to get off trail, but also pretty easy to find your way back. Any markers that helped keep you on trail are no longer there. It's probably not anything you'd need GPS for though.
The lake was beautiful with the low clouds today. The waterfalls on the way up were nice and full. The views came and went from the viewpoints, but were still pretty.
Even though there was a stiff wind at the lake today, the bugs were still noticeable, so I'm guessing on a sunny, calm day they might be pretty bad. I used bug spray even with the wind. On the way up they were only noticeable when I stopped to take pictures of the creek and waterfalls. Bring the bug spray or head net, or whatever you use, especially if you're camping.
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