Crystal Lake — Thursday, Jul. 4, 2019

First off, FS rd 23 is awesome! Probably one of the best we’ve ever driven on since they fixed up the washout from a few springs ago. We were able to go at a fairly steady 20mph most of the way with only a few potholes.

The trail starts off on the Meadow Mtn trail which is still obviously an old logging road. Nothing too bad here even with little maintenance. Once the trail splits from Meadow Mtn it almost immediately gets super overgrown. Sometimes it clears up, but mostly it’s so overgrown that seeing the trail is very difficult. It really helps to have a four legged companion who is much nearer to the ground and can see the trail underneath all the brush!

The last mile or so is definitely the toughest. After all the bushwacking you’ve done, the trail gets STEEP. Quite steep. It lasts like this pretty much until you reach the meadow surrounding the lake.

The lake is beautiful! There are some established campsites and designated ‘facili-trees’ in the area that are easily found by wandering. The lakeside provides a nice spot for lunch for a day hike and maybe a nap if the day is warm enough and the bugs aren’t too bad.