Previous trail reports and the WTA description do a good job indicating what you will face on this hike.
Cycling from the end of the road to the trailhead is great, but the extra weight of my pack made the ride a little slower than I anticipated. It is excellent on the way back, you hardly need to peddle to get back to the parking lot.
The first section through the burn scar is difficult and steep, when you are through it, you will have only gone about a quarter mile. I found routefinding here easier than some reports indicate, but it is slow going and there are some loose rocks and many trees to climb over or under.
Once you're in the shadier forest with the stream and large boulders it is less steep and there are a few short flat sections. This part of the trail is very pleasant and a nice break before the hard part.
The final part of the trail is the scrambles. I was curious how this would compare to other hikes with "climbing" in the Olympics and the fact is, it doesn't compare, it is far longer, more difficult, and potentially hazardous. Imagine doing the "headwall" at Lake of the Angels eight or so times and you might start to get an idea. That being said, the first real scramble is the most difficult. It had very few roots and the most exposure. If you can manage this one, the others will be fine. I found all of the scrambles far more difficult on the way back down. On the way up, I kept thinking "I have to climb up THAT?" and on the way down I kept thinking "I climbed up that??"
The final 1/3 of the trail is the most difficult to navigate. Look for ribbons tied to trees and look for the red metal tags on tree trunks (sometimes they're fairly high up the trunk). Some of them you won't notice unless you turn around, so take it slow and make sure you're on the right path.
The lake was beautiful and I had it all to myself for the duration of my stay, however I think it is a lot of effort to get there when there are many other beautiful lakes that are much easier. If you have any doubts about your ability to do this, chose something else.
My biggest piece of advice is to take frequent breaks, make sure you are well nourished and hydrated, and stretch so you don't get leg cramps on the way up. It truly is the longest 2 miles you'll ever hike. I think I averaged about 0.5mph on the way up. Start early because this will take you longer than you expect.
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