We couldn't have picked a more beautiful weekend to climb. Visability is spectacular when weather is nice. In regards to the ""break-ins"" of automobiles, the local athorities have captured the criminals. A steak-out was set up and proved to be very successful. We had a trouble free week-end. All camp sites were clear and dry. Snow level started about 1/2 mile after base camp. Still a good amount of snow after tree line.

Spent a couple of soggy days in the valley of silent men, being the men with soggy packs. Trail conditions are good up to the 3,000 foot level of the climbers camps. Spotty snow at 3,000 quickly becoming full coverage at about 3250. The trail around the blowdowns is nicely done and a lovely walk it is through the ""silent men"" Wandered to just below the lunch ledges at about 5,000 on the S. Brother when visbility closed in and we heard and felt a seemingly close avalanche. As we were traveling in a rather well used snow chute and could not see more than a 100 feet through the fog, we ambled back to camp to find our sodden camp a little more sodden. Hot tea spurred us to pack up and find warm beds with our loved ones. Sorry to have missed the group of 42!!! day hikers up to Lena lake we noted in the trail log. Lots of notes at the trail head about breakin's. Reportly 10 cars were broken into on the night of the 10th and over 20 since the first of May so say the notes. See ya around.

My first overnight hike! Lena lake proved to be the perfect destination. The trail was in great condition -- only one or two very slightly muddy parts despite recent rain. We camped at the northwest end of the lake (campsite #9) and I believe we had the lake to ourselves overnight. We saw maybe 6 people on the trail on the way up, and passed maybe 15 people on the way down. There were MANY (20+) car break-ins the weekend before we got there, so we just left the car doors unlocked. Hey, they're going to get in anyway... but everything was where we left it when we got back. Weather was decent -- no rain while we were hiking, a slight mist while eating dinner, and heavy rains while we were safely slumbering in the tent. I carried about 60 pounds for this overnighter. Needless to say, I'm going to revise my packing strategy for the next trip (granted, I was carrying 10-15 lbs of camera gear...). Happy trails!

East Fork Lena Creek (also known as approach trail for The Brothers, or ""Valley of the Silent Men"") Lena Lake - The Olympics - Trail in very good shape. Two major blowdowns, in between Lower Lena Lake and the climber's camp for The Brothers (3000'), are the only problems. Snow was reached at 2800', and subsequently made it extremely difficult to follow trail to climber's camp. If you hike this trail this early in the season in the future, here is a tip. At 3000', the trail, paralleling E. Fork Lena Creek on its E side, approaches very close to the creek bank below a small vertical cliff. Just beyond this cliff, the trail takes a rather sharp turn to the W (left) and fords the creek. It's easy to miss this ford by continuing to curve right around the base of the cliff.

The trail to Lower Lena Lake is completely open and snow free. The lake is totally thawed with lots of big logs floating about. On this day it was warm and sunny, with few bugs and a nice breeze. The trail is in excellent shape with no problems. A couple of notes - if you are buying a day parking permit you must get it down at Eldon on highway 101 at a local store - there is no ranger station up the Hamma Hamma road. Secondly, if you have never driven to the end of the Hamma Hamma and you are at the Lena Lake trailhead, it is a very worthwhile 4 mile sidetrip. Marmot