Hike to Lake 22
The hike up to Lake 22 was one of the most wonderful I’ve been on and it’s definitely my favorite in Washington State.
There’s something about this hike that made me feel like I was a child. The smell of wet moss and the ferns that line the trail remind me of the times I used to go foraging for mushrooms with my grandparents when I was little. Water flows in little streams down the trail fueling the Twentytwo Creek that provides a constant soundtrack as soon as you leave the trailhead up to it’s source
Fallen trees line the trail and pile up in the creek and massive stumps tower over the trail. The trail is on the easier side but even if it wasn’t there’s a very slim chance of actually getting tired because there’s always a reason to stop and take pictures or marvel at something.
A little bit higher the trail open up to a beautiful view of the surrounding mountains, rivaling the view that you see at the top of some other trails.
The end of the trail hides the lake behind some trees but as soon as you step on to the little bridge that crosses the creek you see the mountain peeks lined up like they are a crown and their reflection in the crystal clear incredibly still water. I love taking pictures and I’ll take my camera out as soon as I see something I find beautiful or interesting but this lake just took my breath away and I totally forgot about doing anything, for a few seconds even breathing.
There is a trail that wraps around the lake and we spent 2 hours just taking in the splendor of this place from every angle. If you do decide to go around the lake be very careful and don’t go off the path, rocks fall from the mountain and the echo makes it almost impossible to tell where they are falling.
On the practical side make sure you bring something warm to wear when you get up there. At the trailhead it was around 70 degrees Fahrenheit but at the lake there was still plenty of snow. Also the trail is crossed by many tiny streams so waterproof shoes are a great idea and also something with a good grip for the areas where you are going over roots and rocks and thick enough to withstand the sharp rocks.
The length of the trail roundtrip is 5.4 miles but going down took us just as long as the trip up to the lake, the little streams and rocks need your attention even if you have great footwear.
For up to date information about the trail and more details about it’s history check out wta’s guide here: http://www.wta.org/go-hiking/hikes/lake-22
