Thank you to Mr. Gnome's 3/14/08 entry about Lena Lake! Trail mostly clear of snow until about .5 miles before first lookout of Lower Lena Lake where there still about 3' of packed snow (not at the lookout though, clear and perfect for lunch/tea). There is some blowdown and water over trail to negotiate. My StabilIcers (cleats) made the walk out faster over snow, but the trail is manageable in boots. Went down to the campsites (saw 4 tents) - the edges of the lake are just beginning to thaw and you can see cracks in the snow on ice on the lake. Beautiful! Travel Note for Seattleites: left Seattle at 6:10am, took the I-5S to 16E to 106W to 101N to Hamma Hamma Recreational Area, and arrived at the trailhead just before 9am (stopped for a few sunrise pics, but 106 is slow going). I was the first on the sign in sheet, reached the Lower Lena Lookout by 10:15am, started heading down around 11:30 and passed THIRTY TWO people just in the hour it took me to walk out. Took 101N to 104 E (one hour fifteen minutes) and just missed the Edmonds-Kingston ferry, so an hour wait. Lower Lena Campsite note and an appeal: The first campsite at Lower Lena was covered in trash (it looked like someone had been blowing up small kerosene lanterns and tin cans with butane). I forgot to pack a garbage bag, so I turned my daypack cover into a makeshift bag cinched with climbing rope to carry out as much trash as I could, but I couldn't get it all. The first four hikers I passed I asked if they would consider picking up an item and packing it out and they said they would try. (if all 32 people I passed packed out 1 item, how pristine Lower Lena would be!). We are all stewards - I will remember to pack a garbage bag and string next hike I take.

I went up into the Lena Creek drainage today with my brother and his friend. The road up the Hamma Hamma had been plowed past the Lena Lake trailhead, but it was still a bit icy in spots. The trail was snow-free until it swung around into the Lena Creek valley and the snow was mostly firm and easy walking. We left the trail just before the first information board at the lake and headed straight up into a cirque high on the ridge to the west. This basin is rather scenic, though the bush-whacking required to get there is quite strenuous. We intended to continue around Mt. Bretherton and climb it from the south, but it began to snow heavily, making the attempt too dangerous. We turned around and headed up the Lena Lake trail to the lookout rock above the lake. From this vantage point we could see that the lake was about 90% frozen, though it is showing signs of the spring thaw. The trail has a few blowdowns over it, but these are easy to climb over and under. Water is flowing over the trail in several places, but these are not much of a hindrance either.

Road out there was cleared until the last mile (right at the T) which was impassable due to snow (a high-clearance vehicle with chains should be able to make it). Trail itself was clear of snow for about the first mile and then it got progressively worse, up to several feet of snow in some sections. It was passable to the lake, which remains frozen. Despite being under a lot of snow the trail was still easy to follow, but be careful of breaking through, much of it is getting slushy and unless you have gaiters on you will wind up with snow down your boots. There is some blowdown on the trail, most of it is minor but there is one point where it is very difficult to avoid submerging at least one foot in an icy stream due to the blockage. I would recommend anyone trying this trail before it melts out to start early and bring extra socks, poles will help significantly too.

ROGAC (Really Olde Guys Alpine Club) members Jim Champa and John Carlson ventured into the Hamma Hamma river valley thinking driving the road beyond Lena Lake trailhead would be no problem. Not! Leaving Highway 101, only 2.5 miles along USFS Road 25, there is snow on the road. Bouncing back and forth between the two tire-worn ruts, driving conditions became dicey by the time we reached the Hamma Hamma Cabin spur. At the intersecion of Road 25 and Road 2480 (which heads into the Jefferson drainage), snow is easily more than a foot deep and the road is essentially impassable, except perhaps for 4 wheel high-clearance vechicles and drivers possessing a lot of nerve. There was a 4 wheel drive truck stuck on the road farther up. Driver and occupants were ripping fir boughs from nearby trees and placing them in the tire tracks, trying to get unstuck. Sigh. You are well advised not to proceed by vehicle any further than the Road 2480 intersection. There is a lot of snow in the Olympics this year, even at low elevations. We skied the road about 2 miles to the Lena trailhead, then took our skis off and walked on a mix of bare ground and hard consolidated snow for about 2 miles. By the time you reach the bridge above the lake outlet, snow is somewhere between 2 and 3 feet deep. Trail is solid snow, but heavily used, so the path is easy to follow. Snowshoes would have been useless; skis, worse. Lena Lake is frozen solid, except where East Fork Lena Creek rises from the lake. There are a few blow-downs, but all are easily negotiable. Bridges are loaded with snow, but intact, so no problems there. Sun was shining brightly at the lake, which actually warmed us a little. Only two other persons were seen at the lake. I would have expected more, even for this time of year. Slid and stumbled back to the trailhead, donned skis, and schussed back to the cars. Just shy of 11 miles roundtrip. A wonderful day.

I don't hike very fast and with the days getting short I had to hustle a bit to make it up to the Brothers camp and back to the car before dark. I left the Lower Lena Lake trailhead at 9:00 and made it back down to my car at 4:00. The Brothers trail is easy to follow when there is no snow but it's nasty in the winter. In the winter that trail becomes an ice and snow covered stream. There was no snow and this was a pleasant hike. 13.2 miles round trip with 2,400 feet elevation gain. I had the trail to myself most of the day. I was amazed that there were no cars at the trail head when I arrived. http://mosswalks.blogspot.com