Arrived to the parking lot at 7:30am on a sunny Sunday to find only 3 remaining spots in the parking lot, all of which were filled in about 1 minute by the stream of cars behind us. While we were getting ready to hike, cars had started to line the entrance to the lot, but not quite on the road yet. Hike was lovely and I appreciate the trail crews for doing maintenance on this well-loved hike. The trail can be wet or muddy in places despite no prior rain, so maybe leave those white sneakers at home (saw lots of people with now muddy white shoes). Got to the top in 1hr, 10min and relaxed by the lake for an hour or so. Lots of people coming up while we were going down. When we got back down, the cars had lined up on the side of the road for quite a while. 

Beautiful Hike , go early because it can get crowded

Arrived at the TH a bit after 8:30 on this Tuesday morning.  About 10 or 12 cars in the lot already, but parking was not a problem.  It would be a good idea to BYOTP as neither privy had any.  Garbage containers were overflowing with trash stacked on and around them.  This is an attractive, but unhealthy, situation for wildlife, so please consider taking your garbage home with you if the bins are already full especially given the staffing/budget shortage at the Forest Service this year.  

This trail is always a collection of rocks, roots, and water, but overall it is really in pretty good shape, especially given the foot traffic it receives, although tripping hazards abound.  There are four good size trees down across the trail though 3 are super easy to go under.  The fourth has enough clearance for dogs to go under, but most people will want to go over it and that is not too hard either.  While there is water in many places on the trail, none of it presents any challenge.  

There is trail work being done on the top sections of the trail, although no one was working today.  Looks like mostly repairing and refilling turnpikes at present.  A nice new bridge and some stairs have recently been completed near the beginning of the trail.   

Great day to be out.  This is a gorgeous hike through a beautiful forest that contains a good amount of old growth, nice views out to other peaks along the Mountain Loop, waterfalls, and a wonderful lake basin.  When I returned to the TH about noon, the parking lot was 100% full, so good idea to go early if you can, even mid-week.  

The trail to Lake 22 was good. There were a couple spots where you had to climb over a big rock or tree, but overall just normal uphill walking. There's one section that is all rocks and can be dangerous if you're not paying attention (the rocks are smaller but loose and shift as you walk). The elevation gain was a bit rough, but it was worth it in the end.
We went up early in the morning, 7am and there was only one other person we saw on the trail, then less than a dozen already at the lake. By the time we were coming down around 1000 there were a lot more people climbing up.

Mileage/Total Elevation: 6.44mi/1,462ft
Weather: Cloudy
Total Time: 2:50

I haven't hiked Lake 22 since I first moved to the area 6 years ago. I've always been deterred by the Costco-esque parking situation and the heavy foot traffic the hike gets. Today, hoping to beat the traffic, I decided to take a stab at it in the evening.

Parking: When I arrived at the trailhead around 5:30pm, there were a handful of spots open from vehicles that had just left. I popped into one that was steps away from the trail. Given how full it was that late in the evening, I wouldn't be surprised if it is much busier in the morning.

Foot Traffic: I ran into a few people coming down on my way up. I had the loop around the lake and the way down virtually to myself.

Trail: The trail is very rocky and wet most of the way through. It's not my favorite type of hiking terrain given that it requires you to be steady with your feet the whole way through and doesn't offer clear stretches to run down. Also, after a rainy weekend the rocks were slippery...not that I slipped on one or anything...

Notes: There's active work happening on the trail during weekdays. You'll see the evidence of this in a new bridge about 0.25 miles in and handful of materials covered in tarps throughout the trail.

The first 1.5 miles take you up stone and wood steps through the forest up to a talus slope that offers open views of the surrounding terrain. The talus lasts for 0.5 miles before it slips back into the forest. Another half mile and you'll find yourself at the lake. The loop around the lake is about 1.2 miles and alternatives between boardwalk, boulders, and gravel. There are tons of gorgeous wildflowers growing around the lake the views of the boulder field and waterfalls above. Speaking of waterfalls, thanks to the numerous waterfalls and creeks along the way, the sound of rushing water is consistent throughout the entire hike and makes the whole experience better.

Overall, I found the hike pretty enjoyable. I can see it being a little less appealing had there been more foot traffic, especially with all the rocky terrain. The cloudy weather damped some of the views but it was still a nice hike.