Melakwa Lake — Saturday, Aug. 6, 2022

The parking lot was full and many cars already parked on the road when I arrived at 10:30am, which is to be expected for for a Saturday. The trail is in good condition with a couple blow downs that were easy to navigate. The trail gets pretty rocky after you pass slide rock, which slowed my pace coming back down. The elevation gain wasn’t nearly as tough as I thought it would be. The bugs were awful, and my bug spray didn’t seem to deter them. I was wishing I had worn king sleeves and pants. You couldn’t stop and take a break without them swarming you. Luckily dealing with the flies was worth it because the lake is absolutely stunning. The bugs weren’t quite as bad at the lake if you found a good spot. Went for a refreshing swim in the lake and ate lunch before heading back down. Overall the hike took me about 4.5 hours - 2.5 going up and 2 going down.