Hey kids, it's Sideshow Joe!: June 2007

On Wednesday, June 20, I took a solo hike to Lake 22, located in the Glacier Peak area of the Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest. It was a beautiful, clear day and I arrived at the trailhead bright and early, at 8:00 (on absolutely zero sleep, I kid you not). The trail climbs 1300 feet in 2.5 miles, through protected old-growth forest and its switchbacks bring you quite close to the cascading Creek 22, whose waterfalls and rushing sound make good company. After about 40 minutes of moderate hiking, you come to an open patch of talus which offers great views of a few Cascade peaks and hills. Then, back into the forest. After an hour and 10 minutes of hiking, I spotted a huge mountain face through the trees, and... there was Lake 22! It lies beneath a half-mile high portion of the eastern face of Mt. Pilchuck. Very impressive. I honestly expected to see mountain goats bounding around in all that vast rocky grandeur.

I had passed two hikers on the way up, and was to have the lake all to myself for an hour! A notice posted at the trailhead stated that as of June 15 (only 5 days before) half of the loop path around the lake was under snow, and from my vantage point, looking across at the snowfields on the mountain, I had no idea how far around I'd be able to make it. A nice wooden pathway was constructed, including a bridge over the spillway creating the cascading creek, and this pathway started me off on my trip, clockwise, around the lake. As I got closer to the "back end" of the lake, I came upon a bit of snow, but I soon realized that I'd probably be able to make the entire loop! (Indeed, only about 5% of the trail was snow-covered; a lot must have changed in only 5 days!)

The lake itself is pristine! Perfectly still on this sunny day, and wonderful reflections of the mountain and trees. The water was a deep blue-green, and besides the faint buzzing of a few bugs, the croaking of unseen frogs and the quiet rush of melt-water running under the snowfields into the lake, peace and stillness abounded. The plank walkway had ended halfway down the side of the lake, but the path wound through dirt, mud and clay, and then huge rocks and boulders on the far end. Plant shoots and tiny flowers poked up in the marshy melt-water area amoung the boulders. I climbed upon the largest boulder of them all and ate my lunch (thanks for the great sandwich, honey!). Then, I completed my stroll around the lake and back down the trail. I passed a few couples and a single hiker on the way down, and was glad to have gotten there early enough to have some "alone time" with pretty Lake 22.