Camping overnight at Snow Lake is a great option for an early season shake down as long as you secure your permit earlier in the year and then cross your fingers the snow has melted out. It's about a mile in to the camp site and we shared the snow free trail with flocks of day hikers. The trail goes up and down quite steeply three times, enough to make you feel you made an effort, but not so much that you regret all those extras you decided to pack in. There is one small rock hop creek crossing, not an issue even with a pack, and a couple of very minor mud covered snow patches also no problem. The trail to the camp sites drops down steeply via crib steps to the lake outlet. The last step down is pretty much a rooty mud slide. I didn't take my pack off to negotiate it but I sure thought about it! The outlet crossing log is wide and secure but at a small angle, and the off log step on the far end is again a small challenge. Arriving quite late in the day we felt for sure that prime tent site one with its amazing view across the lake would be taken and it was, full of a large group of happy sunbathers, but we ended up camping at site two which was much larger, flatter and more secluded. There is plenty or room for two biggish tents here although the second pad still has some residual snow.
Once unpacked we explored higher into the basin beyond the lake on the unmaintained boot path crossing some snow, and then up on granite rocks. Climbers coming back from Unicorn Peak were exiting down the steep snow covered gully, and then passing us down the rocky slope as if it were nothing. Later from our campsite we watched more groups come down and not all appeared to find it easy. Finally it was just us at the beautiful lake and we sat and watched the shadows move up across the face of Unicorn Peak as night drew in. Temps were down in the 40s overnight, bugs were not bad early in the evening then pretty much absent after that.
We were not late up, but day hikers started arriving even before we could leave and we passed many more on our way out. Lots of Avalanche lilies along the way and apart from enthusiastic bird song we didn't evidence much other wild life. I think if I were to do this again I'd set up camp than return and watch the sun go down from Bench Lake, which has a great view of Mount Rainier, although we did not visit it this trip.
Notes: The bear pole is very much up, although a call the day before to the wilderness ranger office said it was not. We brought our bear canister. The back country toilet is a large sturdy box style with step, in good shape, no flies. It is up a very steep path and comes with a peek a boo view of Mount Rainier through the trees. Please make sure to use the toilet and don't leave a pile of poorly covered poo behind the bush next to it - why would someone do that?
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