Lake Serene

February 23 my wife was away and I went hiking at Lake Serene with friends who are living in the area for the summer.  This was early for a hike in that area but possible because of the mild winter we had.  Usually the trail is snowed in until May or June, but this year there was hardly any snow even at the lake - less snow than we've seen in August or September.

The hike is about nine miles including a side trail to Bridal Veil Falls with an elevation gain of 2000 feet (somewhat more with the side trail).  There was almost nothing in bloom, but it was a beautiful sunny day and a very pleasant hike, first through groves of Red Alders, then through some old growth forest and finally out into the open before one reaches the lake.

The trail is very rough and quite steep with a lot of switchbacks through the forest, but is one of our favorite day hikes and a place we go to look for wild orchids, though none were in bloom in February.  The friends I hiked with had their dog along and he enjoyed the hike as well and was not at all bothered by the roughness of the trail, though he was tired by the end.

 Bridal Veil Falls and the view from the falls

more of the trail and the view from the trail

Mount Index

Lake Serene

back down

Lake Serene

The trail to Lake Serene is one of our favorite hikes, but can be very busy.  When I hiked there on the Fourth of July with my brother, we found it busy indeed, though we had an early enough start that we were on our way down when we met all the crowds.  We were at the trailhead at daybreak and back down to the car before noon, just as hordes of people descended on the place.

The beginning of the trail is through a mixed forest

with occasional glimpses of the valley below and the mountains across the way.

At a mile and a half in there is a side trail through a Red Alder forest to Bridal Veil Falls.

 Back on the main trail there is a wet cliff just before the trails heads up a series of switchbacks.

Near the end of the switchbacks both the valley below and Mount Index come into view.

The lake itself, however, is the goal of the hike, well worth the trek and aptly named.

After reaching the lake we had a snack and a rest at Lunch Rock among the cedars

before heading back down.