Mirror Lake

The Mirror Lake hike was a lake extravaganza! Not only did I see Mirror Lake itself, there were two other pretty lakes along this hike as well as water and snow crossings, a waterfall, and a great group of hikers to enjoy it all with. 

Before we hit Mirror Lake, which was about two miles into our hike, we reached the smaller Cottonwood Lake. It was nice to reach a pretty view so quickly into a hike, but there were lots of mosquitoes buzzing around. If you choose to hike here in the warmer summer months definitely bring bug spray. 

Cottonwood Lake

After a short break to take the requisite pictures and enjoy the view we were off. As we neared Mirror Lake there still some snow on the ground to cross. Having trekking poles puts my mind at ease that I'm not going to fall flat on my face or butt, and the snow cooled me off as we hiked further on. It was like Christmas in summer with the snow crunching under our feet. 

People were camping in small groups at different points of our hike. There were actually a few guys and their pup camping right down by the lake, but they were nice enough to let us walk through their campsite to take pictures.

Ta-da! We enjoyed the view at Mirror Lake and chatted with the campers for a bit, and then my fellow hikers and I moved on in search of a lunch spot. It didn't take us long before we found a pretty area with a stream and small waterfall. 

I ventured a bit lower down as my hiking buddies were finishing up their lunches, and found a spot where the stream cascaded down like a beautiful curtain of water. Sometimes I see things that are so beautiful and poignant to me on my hikes that I'm really happy to have this blog to share them with other people. I hope my pictures also encourage others to go on some of my hikes and adventures themselves, because there really is nothing like seeing these awesome feats of nature in person.

There were a lot of beautiful wildflowers along the trail, and of course I couldn't help but stop and take some snaps of my beloved Bear Grass (Xerophyllum tenax if you want to get fancy).

Our hike took us along the Pacific Crest Trail, and my group and I joked whether we wanted to continue on to either Canada or Mexico. Sorry Canadian cousins, but my vote this time would be for Mexico! We continued on our hike to our turn-around spot, the tucked away Twilight Lake. 

It was a bit marshy trekking over to the lake, but luckily we haven't seen a lot of rain this summer so it wasn't too soggy. There was small flat area in the center that we stopped at for photos, and one of my fellow hikers had brought her pup as you can see in the picture below. Doggy energy is so contagious! It was a blast watching her dog swim in the lake, run out, and wriggle around in the grass in such obvious pleasure.

After a short break at Twilight Lake we headed back. Back over the stream with it's beautiful cascading water, back for one more glimpse of Mirror Lake, once again over crunchy snow-covered fields. This was a relaxing, perfect way to end the weekend.

I love the way I feel after my hikes, whether they're laid-back or more challenging. I'm recharged and ready to start my week, which will hopefully end with another hike!

Annette Lake

I don't know what it was about this hike, but I was really diggin' this trek up to Annette Lake. It was my first time leading a group of hikers and it was super fun. My homeskillet Rachel had to miss out on this one, but I loved this hike so much that I decided to plan a backpacking trip up there that she'll be able to join. 

Initially the day started out with some skepticism. It started to sprinkle a bit as I drove out to North Bend, and some fellow hikers weren't really prepared for rainy weather. Luckily Safeway happened to carry ponchos, so we headed out to the trail-head. The rain stopped completely and it actually ended up being perfect weather, not too hot for some uphill trekking. 

I liked the variety of sights along the trail. There were bridges to cross, small water crossings here and there, open trekking with a crackling powerline above, and some uphill action with great views of surrounding peaks before we reached our lakeside goal.

I particularly loved this bridge pictured above. It was as if a giant tree fell in the woods and someone decided to make the best of it and carve steps to traverse the gap.

One of the beautiful views along the trail

This trail is a popular one. We ran across many groups of friendly, chatty people. I don't know if it was the combination of beautiful scenery and fun company, but I felt like I was on some kind of hiker's high!

There were quite a few switchbacks and some elevation gain, but my group and I made it up to the top, and when we reached the lake we knew it had all been worth it.

Annette Lake is gorgeous! If it had been warmer I would have been tempted to jump right in. The water was clear and shimmering. We found a nice spot and had lunch while reveling in the sights. If I ever decide to give all of modern life up and become a wild mountain woman, you can come find me up here at the lake. My cats will have to learn how to fish...

A fun time was had by all, and if you're only going to do a few hikes in the Snoqualmie Pass area this season, make sure Annette Lake is one of them.

Cheers!

Tradition Lake Loop

Even though I used to live in the area, I had yet to hike any of the trails at High Point Way. Located right off of I-90 at exit 20, I think I took it for granted or was discouraged by the lines of cars parked all down the sides of the road. The Tradition Lake Loop trail is the perfect type of hike for someone who wants to get a bit of exercise and enjoy the great outdoors after work. There are lots of loop options that you can tailor to your liking, so you can do both quick hikes or extend your route for longer hikes.

If my memory serves me correctly, this was the smaller Round Lake. We looped around for an easy 4 mile hike. The weather was mild and sunny, and there were wildflowers blooming everywhere.

I don't think I was in a picture-taking mood, I just enjoyed the hike and relaxed with my hiking buddies. This hike wasn't particularly taxing physically, but I enjoyed the sights and can definitely see myself coming back more often to try out different trails.