Just completed an overnight backpacking trip to Peggy's Pond with two friends.  Some comments:

* Road to trailhead is in great shape.  Maintenance crews are working on the road and was in the best shape I've seen in years.  Please note that while passenger vehicles can ford Scatter Creek in cars I'd still recommend higher clearance vehicles.

* Trail to Cathedral Pass is in great shape. Trail to Peggy's Pond is a little more rugged and has maybe a 50-yard section that you have to be a little more careful on but is totally doable. After Squaw Lake you have multiple ponds available between the lake and the junction with the PCT

* Multiple campsites at Peggy's Pond.  If it is full just keep hiking past the Pond and you'll find more sites.

* My friends today followed the climber's trail to summit Mount Daniel.  if you have some extra time the views from the ridge above Peggy's Pond is worth the effort.

* Saw only 20 people over the two days.  Mid-week hikes are a great time to explore and enjoy the wilderness.

*Bugs were definitely an annoyance.  Be prepared.

So happy we got to do this loop! It was challenging enough to be satisfying and the lake temps were fantastic. We arrived at Cathedral Pass TH around 10 am on a Wednesday. There was still parking available in the lot, maybe 8 cars there. Privy was in good shape and had a trashcan.

Quick conditions rundown:
Lake Michael: Trail to lake is rough. No switchbacks, loose footing, and blowdowns to climb over/around. No water between Trail Creek Trail junction and .75 mi before lake. Lake was warm and clear, saw lots of medium-larger sized fish swimming around. Some bugs but not bad. Appears that far edge saw some winter/spring damage that may have washed out addtional campsites/trail around lake.

Waptus Lake: Beautiful and clear, not too busy on a Thursday. Water temp was swimmable. Enough of a breeze that bugs were not an issue.

Deep Lake: No noticeable bugs during day time. Pretty lake, warm enough water. Great views.

Peggy's Pond: As always, trail is surprisingly sketchy when traversing under Cathedral Rock. The trail forks after the rockiest parts. Continueing straight is a little brushy, longer, and has some steep parts but pretty and takes you by other small lake. Heading right and up is shorter but there is a very steep and loose section before lake. Lake was cold and windy. Camped near smaller lake and bugs were noticeable but wind helped. Busier than expected with most sheltered spots taken but a lot of space for tents in the more open "common" areas near the shore.

Day 1 (Wed): TH to Lake Michael via Trail Creek Trail

Trail good up to junction with Trail Creek Trail. Saw lots of frogs. Once we turned onto Trail Creek Trail, we didn't see another person until later the next day. The trail is a little brushy but a steady grade. Some campsites as we neared junction with Lake Michael trail. The trail up to Lake Michael is an unapologetic slog up loose dirt, gravel, and ankle rollers. Its steep in parts, and clearly sees more hooved traffic when it sees any. Some parts were a little overgrown, mostly noticeable as it was drizzling and the wet bushes soaked everything from the hips down. Several spots with yummy ripe berries on the way up, especially at higher elevations. Some old blowdowns to climb over or around. Lake was surprisingly beautiful and clear. There was a campsite near the trail right as the lakeview opens up, then nothing until the far end where the stock camp is. We didn't check the western shore for sites. Very quiet and peaceful midweek.

Day 2 (Thur): Lake Michael to Waptus Lake via Trail Creek Trail

Hiking back up out of the lake basin then down the loose footing was almost as bad as the way in, but hotter. Trail Creek Trail had increasing blowdowns as we continued but most were able to be stepped over. Lots of berries in spots. Getting to Waptus took us through the river twice, but it was shallow enough. Knee-high at the deepest parts. Camped in the main Waptus Camp area, where there were maybe 4 other groups total. Saw a few people on the other shore but there were still open beach sites.

Day 3 (Fri): Waptus Lake to Peggy's Pond

This section had a lot of switchbacks on the PCT but the footing is good so we just chugged along up to Deep Lake. The shade was nice, its not super exposed even in the afternoon. Nowhere to fill water between bottom and just before Deep Lake. So many berries along here that we stopped to pick some into an empty water bottle. Deep Lake is very pretty, but we just stopped for a long lunch break. No bugs that we noticed but not sure how it is in the evening. Continued up more switchbacks on the PCT until we hit the spur for Peggy's Pond. There is a "No Stock" sign but no trail sign. The spur trail is very rough and exposed. I put away one pole so I could use my hands more as there are spots to climb up or down larger rock/root areas. Pay attention to the trail ahead so that you don't accidentally end up lower than you need to be. There is a split in the trail after the longer exposed traverse. Going right/up takes you more directly to the lake but there are some very steep spots with loose footing. Straight at the split is longer and bushier, but mostly less steep and takes you by other lake. Either way is viable. We took right heading up and came down the other way.
Peggy's Pond was much colder and windier than the other lakes, which I expected being at a higher elevation and at the base of the mountains. There were four or five groups already camping and fishing. Campsites up there are either in the trees or out by the lake. We followed the trail back around to the little heart-shaped lake behind Peggy's. There were at least two solid campsites above the lake. We ended up camping there, and found a couple more sites while wandering. Weather rolled in for the evening and alternated between windy and rainy so we spent the rest of the evening in the tent. Bugs were a little annoying.

Day 4 (Sat): Peggy's Pond to TH via Cathedral Pass

We made our way back across to the PCT, up and over Cathedral Pass, and back down the the TH. Lots of berries in the meadows east of the pass. There is a cell phone signal at the overlook before you start the switchbacks down to Deep Lake if you need. The trail is all downhill after the pass. There were a lot of backpackers and dayhikers coming up the Cathedral Pass trail. When we got back to the TH, cars were parked for about 1/2 mile down the road.

Bugs: We overprepared for bug conditions based on reports at other lakes/old reports. Treated clothing with permethrin, brought a Thermacell, head nets, picaridin lotion, and deet. Ended up only using the Thermacell and got maybe 5 bites total.

This is a great hike, though be aware that there are 12 miles of gravel road and a creek crossing not too far before the trailhead.  The bugs were not as bad as in the last trail report, but there were some.  The weather was cool and cloudy, with a bit of rain both going and coming, and a bear not too far from the junction with the PCT.  Be sure to continue up the PCT around the shoulder of Cathedral Rock for a great view of what I think is The Citadel, and Mt Daniel.

The only bad thing was one spot along with trail with lots of toilet paper.  Ick!  Please, if you must use TP, pack it out with you!  It's unsightly and unsanitary, and takes ages to decompose!  And ladies, get yourself a Kula pee cloth.  Designed by a woman, made in the US, an absorbent side, and a waterproof side, snaps onto your pack, lots of lovely designs, and no need to use TP!

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Beautiful Hike, but beware of the bugs!

Overview/Parking:

With summer finally here and snow melted out in the alpine, my brother and I decided to head into the alpine lakes for a hike. We were planning to backpack up to Peggy’s Pond and tag Mt. Daniel. The final road to the trailhead is a long but well-maintained forestry road that passes several campsites. The road appears to be freshly grated with new gravel. It is a pretty area to drive through. Just before the Scatter Creek campground there is a minor stream crossing – it was no problem for my Subaru Outback and any car with decent clearance would be fine. We arrived at the trailhead just before 8am to a mostly full parking lot. There were several wide spots on the road where cars can pull over and park, so it was not too much of an issue. Just make sure you leave plenty of room for other cars to get through. There was a decent pit toilet at the parking lot that was clean (by trailhead pit toilet standards). The meadows around the parking area were beautiful and full of flowers. The one issue with the parking lot was the literal swarms of mosquitos. Like an ungodly number of mosquitos. Long pants and a long sun hoody as well as deet will be needed right now.

Trail Conditions:

The trail dives into the woods and across a stream before beginning a long two-mile forested uphill push. As the trail leaves the creek floor, it felt a lot warmer and muggier – a result of hiking on a day forecasted to be in the upper 90s. The mugs were ever present, so we did not stop too much. After about 2 miles of steady uphill, you reach a pass and head right along the ridge. From here you will alternate flat and uphill sections, passing Squaw Lake before breaking out in the meadows above. The meadows provided good views across the valley towards Granite Mountain South and the other adjacent peaks. Not too many flowers were blooming in the meadows yet. We encountered some lupine and a few paintbrush. But they were few and far between. As you trek through these meadows you will also get your first views of Cathedral Rock in all its glory, a beautiful and motivating sight. The meadows continue for a good mile + and passes 2 small ponds with some camping spots. Soon the trail intersects the PCT at the base of Cathedral rock. Heading left you are on the PCT for a short stint before deviating along the narrow and exposed section of trail. Though only ½ mile or so in length, this section is quite adventurous with lots of scree and large runouts below. While it was not a huge deal for us, the less sure footed and those with poor balance would be keen to use poles or prepare to take their time to ensure you traverse across safely. Along this section you will have magnificent views of Deep Lake and all the peaks leading up to the east peak of Daniel. The waterfalls from Circle Lake down to Deep Lake were raging and stunning. You could hear them roaring from across the valley. After finished the traverse you push up into the trees and will soon pop out at Peggy’s Pond with the impressive Cathedral Rock towering above on one side and the east peak of Mt. Daniel on the other. It was a beautiful and impressive destination. Everything was melted out other than a handful of spots along the way to the next ridge line. Not too many wildflowers yet though as things clearly just recently melted out. The pit toilet was a short walk away and was a great view. The cover does not stay up on its own, so we had to use a rock to prop it up. There were many other parties camped out around the lake. Many of the campsites do not have much shade which on this balmy day presented a lot of issues. The heat was oppressive. As well, the mosquitos here were unrelenting. Long layers and full coverage were nonnegotiable. We used bug spray and bug nets and still managed to get eaten alive. As well, exploring the late with long layers (even summer specific long layers) in this heat was miserable. We cooled off with a swim in the pond but the mosquitos were quick to swarm us when we got out. We chatted with 4-5 other parties who opted to leave due to the oppressive conditions (heat and bugs). We stuck it out for a bit longer but ultimately decided that the conditions were not enjoyable and decided to bow out. Really unfortunate because this location was magnificent.

Conclusion:

The hike itself is nice and the end location is stunning. Just a classically beautiful alpine destination – an outdoorsman’s paradise. Unfortunately, the mosquitos and heat were just too much for us to bare. I have not encountered mosquitos like that in quite some time. And never this late in the season. Likely just a result of the recent melt out. I think in a month it would be much more palatable for most people. Those who go in the near future just need to come prepared with bug nets, bug spray, and good thick clothing to cover up (and a positive attitude).

After the hike, head into Roslyn or Cle Elum to grab a coffee, pastry, or beer. Lots of great spots for a post hike treat!

Friendly reminder to everyone (new or seasoned hikers alike) to study Leave No Trace Principles and show respect for the land and other hikers. Specifically – Travel on Durable Surfaces, Dispose of Waste Properly, and Be Considerate of Other Visitors.  Saw some stark violations of these sustainable practices.

Went up there for a backpack to escape the heat wave but ended up making a day hike out of it. The mosquitos were ferocious. Even though I brought two types of bug spray (citronella and picardin) and my friend brought two types of bug repellant (DEET and mosquito wristbands), I don’t remember being eaten alive the same way. It started off fine, then moderate around S* Lake (if you stopped, you would get swarmed), and finally gnarly times up closer to Cathedral Rock (swarmed while moving). It was hot, but I resigned myself to longsleeves, pants, and a bandana around my neck for relief. I don’t remember the last time I turned around after hauling a pack up, but my sanity was worth it. If you go, bug nets are highly recommended. High clearance vehicle recommended to get to the trailhead — a little Kia sedan turned around because they didn’t think they could make it over the stream (about 8-10 feet wide and maybe a foot deep). P.S. Berries were not ripe yet.