I was dropped off at 8:15 on a weekday. The parking area was full with (maybe) space for a very small car remaining. I found the trail to be in good condition, generally. A crew was building a water diversion system (apparently to provide drinking or irrigation water to Leavenworth) along the lowest part of the trail. The river was raging, which seemed odd for a very dry September. The trail features quite a lot of loose rocks on the path, so careful steps are essential. In a few sections the bushes are trying to reclaim the width of the trail.
I was day hiking but noted there are a good number of tent camping sites scattered along the way. Nada Lake, when I finally reached it, was very nice. The morning had been smoky due to a fire near Lake Wenatchee but after reaching Nada Lake there was little or no smoke. A huge volume of water was crashing down into Nada Lake - so much that I wondered if it was normal this time of year. After Nada Lake, the last short steep climb brings you very close to the water cascading down from Snow Lakes. The highest point is about 5525’. The dam proved a great place for a late lunch, sitting on one of the thousands of logs jammed there.
I underestimated the time for the descent. The trail guidebooks warned about this but I still needed an hour and 15 minutes more than I planned to get back down the trail. Not much wildlife today. A few birds including some woodpeckers, a distant deer and some squirrels and maybe a pika were all I saw. Smoke was bad at the lower elevations.
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