A friend and I hiked Rachel Lake Saturday, August 20. We didn't hit any other lakes or peaks, just took the trail from Rachel trailhead to Rachel and back. Started just before 10am--lot was full but parking was available on the side of the road just outside the lot. Bathroom was clean and stocked. Road is dusty but almost entirely un-potholed, which was nice.
In general, this hike is lovely. It's mostly flat for the first three miles-ish, and has several little waterfalls along the way. There is a good amount of shade and also some open meadows that provide wildflowers and views of the nearby peaks (primarily Hibox).
A couple things surprised me, though. First was that the trail was wetter in spots that I'd think for this time of year. There were a couple little creek crossings which were no big deal (worst case is you get your feet wet, nothing was terribly deep or fast water), but I was just surprised that there were little mud puddles and whatnot this far into August. Second surprise was how steep the end felt. I'm a frequent and enthusiastic hiker of trails that pull about 1000/ft gain, and I still felt the burn here. The last push is where all the gain is, and it's a bit scrambly from time to time (barely a scramble, though, Class 2 max) so requires use of other muscles. Overall, the trail is still suitable for most hikers as long as you're in decent fitness, but just something to keep in mind. I was glad I hadn't brought my dog since he probably wouldn't have loved the rocks--though many other dogs were there and seemed to be doing just fine.
Also worth noting, as others have, is the route finding challenges. Even this time of year when the trail is busy and everything is melted, there are still opportunities to get off-route and find yourself having to backtrack. I was deliberate about following Gaia when I wasn't sure which way to go, and was glad I did--we ran into a group that had passed us earlier then had to pass us again because they had gone the wrong way and ended up behind us.
The lake itself is beautiful. Lots of places to sit and eat. I heard there were goats around but didn't see any myself. Note that there's a toilet on the map near the lake, but it's purely a pit with a seat--no shelter/privacy.
We moved pretty slow on the way up and broke for lunch at the lake, and still were on the road again in under 6 hours. Between shorter breaks and lunch, my Strava reported actual moving time as more like 4 hours. Gain was 2,037 ft and distance was 7.66 miles.
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