Lena Lake — Saturday, May. 31, 2008

Olympic Peninsula > Hood Canal

The Brothers have called to me from across the sound for years. I've even had the idealistic notion that my brother and I would do the peak together. Well a last minute cancelation and a quick, lucky phone call had me heading across the Kingston ferry late Saturday morning. Once we found the Lena Lake trailhead we were off! The trail to the lake is dusty and dry. Tons of day hikers beat it's too-long switchbacks into oblivion. The lake was unremarkable except for the incestant yapping of somebody's little dog that was damn close to having a tragic accident. The well marked trail to the Brothers immediately turns a little worse for the wear. I enjoed it's unkempt nature but there was a fair amount of windfall and storm damage. The trail was gorgeous as it winds thru the Valley of Silent Men. Our camp was on snow at around 3000'. A well trodden trail thru snow follows the stream out to the coulior and then to the summit. Snow in the morning is still quite firm so crampons or good snow skills are required. By 10am the sun is on the slopes and it is a big sloppy, fun slide down. We came upon two mountain goats near the summit.