Lena Lake — Saturday, Mar. 22, 2003

Olympic Peninsula > Hood Canal

As Slugman stated this hike doesn't take too long, but it is a great place to go. When we drove up the Hamma Hamma Road, we got tantilizing glimpses of snow-coated peaks to the west, steep and rugged. Sunshine and blue skies greeted us at the trailhead; we had managed to find a window between storms and enjoyable weather. The trail begins climbing immediately, winding up the wooded slope in a series of shallow switchbacks. Then it traverses towards Lena Creek, gently climbing all the while. The creek was full of water thundering, white billows crashing over the mossy rocks on its way to the river below. And the lake was filled to overflowing. Some of the lower campsites were submerged under the chilly green waters, which were backed up into the inlet stream almost to the bridge. We enjoyed a lunch break on sunny Big Rock, getting almost toasty in the spring sunshine. While we met backpackers on the way out, there were only a few other people at the lake beside our Mountaineer group. The trail, kind of a super highway, was in excellent condition, but there was some water flowing over and down small areas. The amount of percipitation in the last couple of weeks has overcome the ability of the topsoil to take any more moisture. What's left is filling streams, leaking out of the ground and plunging down slopes. There was one tree over the trail leading to the bridge and onto the Valley of the Silent Men. Despite the quantity of water the trail tends to be rocky and thence little mud was encountered. Leave the gaiters in the car unless you're going higher towards Upper Lena.