The Brothers, Lena Lake — Thursday, Jul. 2, 2009

Olympic Peninsula > Hood Canal

The trail to Lena lake is wonderfully well maintained and in very good condition. The campsites dotting the lake's northern shore were abundant, well situated, and all around nice. If you are planning a trip to Lena lake I highly recommend allowing an extra couple of hours to continue up on the Brothers trail through the Valley of the Silent Men. The size of the trees and lushness of foliage is other-worldly. This trail, though a little more rugged than the one up to Lena Lake, is also in nice condition, and the grade is quite easy. There is basically no snow left on the route to the summit. The trip took 7.5 hours RT from the climbers camp - 4 hours up and 3.5 hours down. There was quite a bit of minor bouldering and steep loose rock along the way which made the going up tedius, and the down-climb even more so. Our party agreed that a rope should have been brought along. Water is still easliy available up to about 1/4 of the way from the top (about 15 min above lunch rock). The wildflowers were abundant (and such a wide array!), the views outstanding, and the fearless goats made for a bit of extra excitement. Bring bug cream and watch for sliding rocks from those above you. I wore and would recommend a helmet.