Got to the trailhead around 8:00am and the trailhead lot was mostly full except for a few open spots. The toilet was well stocked, which I was suprised by, given the shutdown, but someone seems to keep stocking these trailhead toilets.
The trail is in good condition, not particularly muddy or wet until you descend towards the lake. There is some snow as you get to the top of the trail before descending, but it wasn't difficult to cross; at least nothing that I thought required microspikes.
It was very windy the day that I did it and the trees had a dusting of snow in their higher branches, so chunks of it was getting blown down on me as I hiked through the woods towards the lake.
The outflow from the lake seemed pretty high, but I haven't done this trail in a while, so I can't remember if this is just how it usually is. It made finding a way across without getting your feet wet a little tricky, but it was manageable.
The trail around the lake was easy to navigate, and the views across to the snow covered trees was a nice hint of things to come.
I hiked on a brisk clear day and the views from this trail were great. McClellan butte had a nice dusting of snow on it. Mount Rainier was in glorious display. You could even see all the way to Seattle and Bellevue.
Comments