The weather was a bit iffy, but was good all the way up. It was a gradual climb of 2,400 feet over 3.5 miles. Not steep, but continuously uphill. We made pretty good time though, only stopping a couple of times for water.
We arrived at the lake at noon. It was spectacular. There was a little island out there in the middle. It looked really beautiful with the mountain backdrop and wisps of fog blowing through.
Within 10 minutes, the entire lake was hidden as a huge cloud system moved in. It started to sprinkle a little bit. We hunkered down under some trees and relaxed.
The hike down was eerie, it was very dark. I thought I might have to use my flashlight at 1:30 in the afternoon. We ambled down at a decent pace, going slow over several areas of the trail that were very rocky.
It was the longest hike I have done in recent years, but it was great. My legs are still sore, but I can't wait to do it again. On the way to Port Angeles, we stopped at the Visitor Center and I finally bought a good map of the Quilcene area I normally hike in.
Enjoy the picts!
