October Hike, 2009

Reviewed By: Brian on Saturday, October 24, 2009 @ 05:42:39 PM

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My dogs and I hike this trail probably 20 times a year and the beauty always remains the same regardless of the time of year. The Fall colors were glorious along the rock slide area and around the lake this year and the mosquitoes were gone. The lake color was a turquoise blue with cliffs reaching up another 1000 feet or so above the lake. There  was a hint of fresh snow on the upper cliffs and the air had that clean fresh smell. .Can't wait for the first big snow. I wouldn't call this an easy trail as it is 2.8 miles with an elevation gain of around 1300 feet. Small children might have a tough time depending on the time of year as there was plenty of snow this year clear into July. Boots are a must to keep feet protected and dry. This trail is open year round and in the Winter it is a snowshoe Winter wonderland.

absolutey awesome

Reviewed By: catannadd on Wednesday, July 15, 2009 @ 09:54:36 AM

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We hiked this trail in the middle of the week on an overcast day. Got halfway up Mt. Pilchuck and realized there would be no view, so we tried Lake 22 at around 3:30.  The views through old growth forest with waterfalls abounding were spectacular, but the lake at the top surrounded by mountains that pierced  the undebellies of the heavy clouds was ABSOLUTELY AWESOME!  We were the only ones on this trail except for the 3 people from Maryland we saw coming down as we were going up.  We are also from Maryland which added to the fun of this hike.  I've never experienced such an eerily beautiful and powerful place. This is a great hike on an overcast day. 

Water, Meadows, & Green!

Reviewed By: Becca on Friday, May 29, 2009 @ 03:34:14 PM

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Memorial Day Weekend, 2009:  Access to trailhead is clear. Switchbacks follow Lake 22 stream with several waterfalls, very scenic. There are several trees in the path, all are navigable. Last .25-.5 mile has packed snow; if I had a small child, would not attempt to go all the way to the lake. About half of the lake is covered with snow, very bright so bring your sunglasses. This trail is quite rocky, but since there are many streams crossing, it will be muddy and wet.

This one was hard on my knees towards the very end, but I will certainly be back!  Even saw a snake (harmless).

Avalanche

Reviewed By: Dan Storm on Wednesday, January 14, 2009 @ 11:52:51 AM

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Did hike in early January 09. Snow shoeing all the way. Beautiful and quiet. Encountered very few people. Had to stop at half way point--where there is a clearing and you can see some views--due to an avalanche that had taken place. The trail was no longer visible. A couple passed me going down saying that another couple braved the avalanche and were proceeding.

I will wait a few weeksw before trying this again.

Lake Twenty-Two

Reviewed By: Wayne on Tuesday, September 2, 2008 @ 03:25:16 PM

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Did this hike on September 31st. Like many have mentioned, the trail is busy, but it is a beautiful hike. The avalanche area near the top of the trail has now been cleared of trees, which was nice.

Lake 22

Reviewed By: Jeff on Sunday, August 3, 2008 @ 11:06:27 AM

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Three of us went on this hike on August 2nd. Like many have said before, if you want solitude on your hike, don't go on this one! The parking lot was nearly full when we got there are around 10. The hike itsely is really beautiful. Nice mix of Old Growth, Stream views (with waterfalls) and some mountain meadows. The day was not the best for views, since it was heavily overcast, so I cannot comment on the views during the hike! The cloud cover was so low, we were in them at the top of the trail. About 1/4 mile from the lake, there looks like there was an avalanche during the winter. Several trees were down, creating a small obstical course navigating this area. This just added to the fun of the hike! When we reached the lake, there is still a lot of snow! Half the lake is still covered in ice.

We had fun on this hike and will go again.....we will wait for a clearer day so we can see the lake and surrounding mountains better at the top.

Lake 22

Reviewed By: HVin on Tuesday, April 22, 2008 @ 11:29:31 AM

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Beautiful hike...highly recommend it!  Gets your heart rate up, but was not too demanding for inexperienced hikers.  We did this hike a couple times in early summer.  Beautiful, thundering waterfalls and bridges over the river accompany you throughout the hike.  However, at this lookout point, there are granite slabs along the pathway which, if it is even WARM, will emit heat like an oven.  When you get to the top you will see the lake laid out like a postcard.  The boardwalk goes completely around the lake but parts of it may be covered in snow depending on when you do the hike. 

November Run

Reviewed By: Cindy O on Sunday, November 4, 2007 @ 09:07:24 AM

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I didn't see this hike as a four star this time of year.  The water was not a hazzard, but there are several places on the trail to cross it.  There are several visible falls along the way, and you can see a nice river just after starting out on the trial.  The trail is well maintained.  I was up in an hour and down in the same time (due to running into lots of foot traffic making their way up).  There is a trail all around the lake that takes 1/2 hour to go around.  It was a bit drizzily, but there were clearings.  The lake was visible.  Just a small patch of snow near the lake but not on the trail.

Reviewed By: Griffin Bainter on Friday, October 26, 2007 @ 10:33:11 AM

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Hiked this trail in June 2007, it was gorgeous.  The waterfalls were gushing, the trees were big, and the lake up top was still frozen over, but not entirely.  The lake up top is awesome, and it is well worth finishing the hike.  You should wear shoes with snow in mind unless you go in July/August/September, because there is some.

Great hike

Reviewed By: Anonymous on Monday, September 17, 2007 @ 03:36:20 PM

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Went on 9/15/2007 with 3 of my children ages 11-17. While it was quite a bit different than was described in the book we read, it stated it was easy for small children, it was still very enjoyable. I am just starting to get back into shape so I had to stop a heck of a lot more for breathe than my kids did but I still made it. Navigating all the loose rock was probably the most difficult part.  What a beautiful experience!

Great Hike

Reviewed By: MSJE on Saturday, August 18, 2007 @ 10:11:02 AM

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 I have to say this is a great beginner hike.  It has it all a good incline, a trail that stretches through the trees and rocks, and a lake at the end.  I gave it 3 hikers simply b/c it has a decent elevation change and my wife and I were paking our two children (1 1/2 and 2 1/2) on our backs.  It took us a little longer for this reason.  Still we made the round trip in 5 hours.  We definently recommend this hike.

Waterfall hopping

Reviewed By: clbackus on Tuesday, July 31, 2007 @ 08:27:31 PM

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Went last Sunday, July 22.  It was kinda a drizzly day, but overall a good day for this hike.  Much of the hike is secluded in temperate rainforest so the drizzle doesn't really affect you.  The views at Lake 22 are pretty cool, with mountains surrounding you on all sides except for the inlet from below and where the mountain stream runs down.  I give the difficulty of this hike Moderate+ just due to the "water factor".  There was literally 50-60 water hazards of one sort or another you had to navigate along the trail.  Lots of small waterfalls and runners make this an interesting albeit somewhat technical journey.  Don't forget to stop for blueberries just as you cross out of the forest run and start your climb up out into the open mountainside section.  When you are at the lake you can take the trail around the lake, be forewarned on the farside, the trail goes closer to the lake, dont try to scramble over the rocks, you'll end up off the trail and in the thorns.... wink wink

great trek through the woods

Reviewed By: Nathan on Wednesday, July 25, 2007 @ 07:13:43 PM

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This is a favorite of mine in the category of beginner hikes.  It has all the elements of a beautiful hike with a great scenic finish.  I take a group of 40 JH students up every year and they always love it.  A big plus is that in late july and august you will want to pack a swim suit as there are two or three great beginner rock diving spots.  Nothing feels better after a hot hike then a 12 to 15 foot dive in to the clear crisp blue lake. :0) 

July 07 Summer Day

Reviewed By: wdegroodt on Monday, July 9, 2007 @ 09:52:16 AM

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My wife and I hiked to the lake with ease. The trail is in excellent condition with many updated steps and gravel paths. The lake area now has some great boardwalks to make it effortless to go all the way around. There are still some snow caves back by the mountain. A few mosquitos were encountered but we didn't have a poblem with them while sitting on the boulders under the mountian spires. This is a really good introduction hike for anyone.

First hike this season

Reviewed By: Tim on Monday, July 9, 2007 @ 08:34:27 AM

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We used to hike quite a bit but have gotten a little out of shape, so chose this hike as a re-starter. We left our house in Seattle about 8 a.m. Sunday 7/8/07 stopped for breakfast, and were at the trail head by 10:30, after picking up a pass at the ranger station. We saw no one on the whole trail up, which surprised us on a beautifully sunny Sunday morning. I don’t know when I have enjoyed a walk more than this one. The trail up through the old growth, following the cascade of 22 creek, was beautifully laid out to take advantage of views and the sound of water. The boardwalks around the lake are done, so there is no more walking through (crushing) marshy areas. We found 2 other couples as we walked around the lake but a nice large flat rock at the far end of the lake below the rampart of the mountains was free, so we had our lunch there then took a short nap in the sun. Many more people started to show up about the time we were leaving, and on our way down we ran into about 100 on their way up for the afternoon. Advice is to go early on weekends or go on weekdays for this hike, novice or intermediate hikers will not be disappointed.