I actually did not see the previous trip report before I set out this morning on my scouting trip of the Upper Lena Lake Trail. I had a slightly different experience than the below.
Lower Lena was lovely, trail pretty easy and in great shape! Then the fun started once I began my journey towards Upper Lena Lake. Patchy snow started around 2300 ft, complete with insanely sketchy and unstable snow bridges. The trail was difficult to follow at times, because as noted, there are a lot of branches and conifer needles everywhere. It also is not well-trafficked AT ALL, so it was hard to find footprints. But I managed. Where I differ from the below trip report is that I made it past the park boundary no problem. There were multiple blowdowns, but all were passable.
The snow was getting more and more unstable as I continued forward in the park. I turned around at around 2500' when I took one step and sank to mid/high thigh (and I'm very tall!). Not worth it. It's gonna be awhile unfortunately until all that snow is gone! :( Be careful out there! It looks deceptively packed, but it sure isn't!
Comments
Merc on Upper Lena Lake, Lena Lake
Previous review poster here! Glad you made it as far as you did! Should have mentioned that we’re late 50s and no longer the gazelle-like creatures we were even 10 years ago. Our risk vs reward evaluation has changed, now that we’re approaching the “will I fall and break a bone” age group! Happy hiking!
Posted by:
Merc on May 13, 2023 01:30 PM
mam013 on Upper Lena Lake, Lena Lake
That makes total sense, and it is very inspiring that you are still hiking!! Happy trails to you too!
Posted by:
mam013 on May 14, 2023 04:49 PM