Ashland Lakes — Tuesday, Apr. 26, 2016

North Cascades > Mountain Loop Highway

With the plan of being at class by noon, my friend and I woke up at the wonderful dead hours of the night to make it to the trail head around 5 or 6 am. Her car was a beast over the pot holes but we definitely had to take it slow. If you have a small low sedan, I would recommend going very very slow! After taking the road for 2.4 miles, we came to a "junction" where we though we'd turn right. Don't take this because it's a dead end. The trail sign is in plain sight, so be sure to look out for it! Anyway, the trail was completely hiker free and quiet our entire trip. The weather was beautiful and the fog came through the trees at such a perfect angle. It made me appreciate the luxury of going into the mountains at free will. The hike up is very easy, but a bit slippery on the little wood walks. The forest was absolutely beautiful and smelled like paradise. This would be a great first hike for the young ones because the elevation changing is subtle and the ups and downs are fairly even. Just take time to relax and enjoy what nature has to offer.