Sunday, August 7, 2022
I was totally exhausted after hiking Mt. Pilchuck on Friday so I rested on Saturday, then on Sunday I hiked to Lake Twenty Two.
Knowing how insanely busy this trail gets on the weekend I got to the trailhead at 6:30:
This is a very beautiful forest:
The trail soon turned rough, with worn-out boardwalks and LOTS of rocks:
The trail crossed Twentytwo CreeK;
Then came a lot of climbing, although it was fun to gawk at the enormous trees along the trail:
There was an open slope where the views opened up for a short while:
The trail was particularly rocky here:
I reached Lake Twenty Two early enough that the lake was still calm. There were other hikers around, but the hoards hadn’t arrived yet. I sat for awhile enjoying the scene:
The trail continues around the lake:
Looking back across to the lake where the trail comes out:
Looking up at the rock wall at the far end of the lake:
That is Three Fingers in the distance:
One last look at the lake before heading back down:
As I headed down the massive crowds were heading up. People were carrying beach towels and various flotation things including rafts. I saw people in all manner of Crocs and sandals, as well as people carrying little to no water. Hundreds of people heading up as I headed down. So glad I got an early start.
Gaia stats: 6.5 miles, 1,400′ elevation gain
