Being an 'ol boy from Florida with little snow experience, this hike was both gorgeous and exhausting. Before beginning, I would recommend the following: trekking poles, WP boots & gaiters, warm/wicking clothing, lots of water and tools for navigation.
The roads to the parking lot were wet with some snow but drivable. We parked at the Franklin Falls lot thinking the bridge to Denny Creek would be too icy but this was not the case. The trail starts out muddy with some snow patches (no need for microspikes). We approached the first "landmark" by passing under the I-90 bridge which felt very apocalyptic with the grey skies and snow. Continuing forward, we passed through several creeks but all had strategically placed rocks. Even if you missed a rock, you likely would not get too wet since the water is low (given you are not wearing tennis shoes).
As someone posted earlier, once crossing the first larger creek, the snow really begins. Fortunately, the snow was fairly compact the entire way from previous hikers/dogs. I would highly advise microspikes at this point.We saw a few hikers without them and they kept slipping in some of the areas. This could be a little dangerous in a few places where there's a steep slope on one side of the trail.
About halfway through the hike, the light snow began falling and visibility dropped to 100ft or so. If the trail had not been so compact and visible, we may have had to pull out the GPS. The visibility slowly began to drop until we reached the lake.
Approaching the final few sets of switchbacks near the pass, the trail became significantly more narrow with one side being a steep slope and the opposite side a deceiving 2-3ft of snow (at some places 3-4ft). This made it difficult (but doable) to pass one another along the trail.
We reached the pass with about 20-30ft of visibility where we could only see a handful of trees instilling the feeling of a summit (yes, I know it was a pass, not a summit). If you're exhausted, don't fret. The final portion of the hike to the lake is a 150ft descent and the views are breathtaking.
Few tips once reaching Melakwa lake. First, if the visibility is poor, give about 20-30min as the clouds pass through. Second, be careful around the lake. Portions have iced over and are now covered with snow. You may step on the fragile ice thinking it's still land. Third, keep moving around. The temp at the lake is cold especially with the wind chill. I wish I had a thermometer to see how cold it really was. I usually run somewhat hot with my jacket in 35 degrees and I freezing up there. So it makes me feel like it could have been in the 20's or lower.
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