Ashland Lakes — Monday, Sep. 5, 2016

North Cascades > Mountain Loop Highway

First off, definitely bring the directions to the trailhead. This area has no cell service, and the forks aren't signed for Ashland Lakes. Also, I saw several cars on the road, so I know it's passable for regular clearance cars, but I would very strongly recommend something higher clearance. We were in a Ford Escape, and it still took a lot of maneuvering and care. I also recommend shoes with good traction, especially if it's been raining. The boardwalk was pretty slippery. We were doing this hike as a lazy easy day-hike on a foggy day (my friend and I are both pretty experienced). This hike is actually really fun though, and I'm adding it to my list of hikes to do with out-of-towners visiting the PNW. It has every element of a good hike: an exciting road to the trailhead, a walk through the rainforest, a little bit of elevation gain with some rocks and roots to dodge, and two calm, peaceful lakes with picnic spots to have lunch at. I THINK there are mountain views, but the fog never lifted far enough for us to see them. POTENTIAL WARNING: We saw signs of bear activity while hiking, and the one other group on the trail told us that there was "something large" in the brush ahead, and that their dogs had been afraid. They didn't know what it was, and thought it was just a deer or something. They must have scared it off, because we didn't see or hear anything.