Lena Lake — Friday, Feb. 16, 2024

Decided on Lena Lake hoping that on a Friday morning in February it would be less crowded than usual and when I arrived at the trailhead around 8:30am I was the only one there.  Another hiker pulled up just before I started out.  The snow from earlier this week covered most of  the trail, there was one set of footprints coming down the trail that looked like they were from the day before. 

On the way up the path was mostly covered in about an inch or two of snow.  The snow got a little deeper the higher up and closer to the lake until it was maybe 3 or 4 inches in some spots.  It was still cold enough in the morning that it wasn't too wet but the snow was starting to fall from the trees.  There was one tree across the trail that was easy to step over.  A couple of sections of the trail had some running water but overall it was very manageable just in my hiking boots.  Trekking poles might have been nice in a couple of sections when I was coming back down but not necessary.  Good boots highly recommended.  On the way down, maybe the last mile or so, much of the snow had melted from the trail.  My guess is the snow by the lake was pretty wet by the afternoon.

It's probably been 15 years since I last did this hike and it was during the summer.  I enjoyed it much more this time around with the area covered in snow.  I hiked to the far end of the lake and enjoyed the sound of the stream, along with the view of the lake.  Had a nice conversation with one hiker and then headed back out.  Passed about 5 groups of hikers heading up to the lake, most seemed to have the right gear but a few were only in tennis shoes. 

The road up is paved and had some snow on it but there were clear tire paths all the way up to the parking lot.  Shouldn't be any issue for any vehicle as long as you don't try and drive too fast, it was a little icy in spots in the morning but fine by the afternoon.