Josephine Lake — Friday, Jul. 22, 2022

Started at Stevens Pass. The trail has intermittent relatively short patches of snow that could be difficult to to cross for inexperienced hikers. We had no problem crossings with hiking poles and no traction devices but had to choose our path wisely to avoid slipping or falling through. Trail was muddy in places. After leaving the PCT, we encountered 2 blow downs across the trail that required us to climb around. (See pics) That was challenging but doable for us but might stop a less agile person. We arrived at the lake at 6pm and were the only overnighters there until dusk when 3 other parties arrived. The lake was windy in late afternoon and early morning as the air temperature was changing; not sure if that is a daily phenomenon of the lake or not, but we chose a campsite based on protection from the wind. The open air toilet has a nice view of the lake and designed nicely for privacy. Bugs were plentiful near the water so having bug repellent was helpful. The lake is very beautiful and peaceful.