Heather Lake — Monday, Sep. 1, 2025

Arrived about noon, parking crowded but we managed to secure a spot pretty quickly. Bathroom pretty clean! A little cloudy but headed up the trail hoping for sun break. As mentioned in other reports, first mile of trail is very manageable, second mile you begin to reach logs to climb over, very wet and slippery rocks and LOTS of root climbs. All doable if you go slow up and down, we did pass hikers younger than me who had slipped and/or had ankle issues. Go slow, poles are very helpful up and down and watch where you put your feet. Enjoyed the beautiful lake at the top, sun peeked out and mist rolled in. A great hike but I probably wouldn't do again as I don't want ankle or knee issues long term.