Greider Lakes — Saturday, Jul. 31, 2010

Central Cascades > Stevens Pass - West

As others have mentioned. Road closed at Site 3. The road up to the trail head was annoyingly long and cross-cut by large drainage trenches. 50 of them to be exact. We counted them on the way out. You couldn't ask for easier hiking than a lazy sloping dirt road but after more than an hour you really wish you were either on a four-wheeler or decided to go on a different hike... and then you get to the trail head. This is not an ascent for those packing coolers and cases of water (like we some some teenagers attempting on our way out... with no real gear and no way to boil water). The trail is steep and climbs vertically with little regard for you or the things you're packing. I'm 30 and in good shape and my legs were done by the time we "summit-ed"... an hour and a half later. It was a short five minutes to little Greider and we were thoroughly rewarded for our efforts. Everywhere you looked could have been a picture postcard. The lake was shockingly warm. That is no exaggeration. Mosquitoes and biting insects were pleasantly few compared to many wilderness hikes I've been on and the campsites were very accommodating. Many having large log rounds for tables. Some of the sites looked a bit neglected (forgotten) as did the trail after you get past the little lake to the big lake. Very overgrown. Fallen trees hiding or blocking sites, one small tree across the trail to the big lake. My favorite exploration was the outlet river from little Greider. The water was so comfortable, and the scenery was epic in places with small wading pools and waterfalls. Everywhere you went you encountered Huckleberries and some kind of wild blueberry (mountain huckle?) I strongly recommend packing a large plastic tarp and some bear mace or a pistol for this hike. The weather changed quickly just as we were setting up camp that night and before long it was a down pour. Someone was nice enough to leave their 10x10 tarp up there when they left. When we saw it we were berating them for it (we always pack out our "trash"), until we were stringing it up over our camp as fast as we could. With some reservation, we left it there when we packed out. As for the bears: the next day when we were exploring just past the camp sites at Big Greider, we saw fresh bear sign and large sections of multiple trees had the bark shredded off by obvious claws. Heed bear warnings and take precautions. This is wilderness. Overall: Well worth the trek, certainly once. Especially this time of year.