Bridal Veil Falls Trail -- Index, WA

 How is it this nice out in mid-November still? Good hiking truly never stops in the Pacific Northwest I guess. Another weekend, another hike. 

Espresso Chalet

Washington state is no stranger to little espresso java huts. The state takes its coffee seriously. The Espresso Chalet is yet another one to add to the list. It's probably the most scenic one you can find though. It's very close to Bridal Veil Falls and has a deck and outdoor seating area to view the mighty Mt. Index. We decided to take a short detour...just a mile and half further down the road (US-2) from the Bridal Veil Falls trailhead. That's where the Espresso Chalet exists near Index, WA. 

Look familiar at all? Harry and the Henderson's was filmed here!

There was a decent sized line so we waited maybe 10-15 minutes to get our coffee, which was unfortunate because we already left Seattle late. I don't think we started hiking until WELL after noon. Maybe even 1PM. So we were fighting daylight, especially since daylight savings ended a week ago. I got my 16oz Mocha espresso and carried on. Energized for the hike ahead. If you're hiking in the area, and love coffee, or are fan of all things Bigfoot, you'd be foolish not to stop here first. Take a breather and sip your coffee in front of Mt. Index. We were pressed for time, so we didn't. Don't be like us!

Bridal Veil Falls

Yes, yes, onto the hike. The parking lot for the trailhead was about half full, getting there on a weekend afternoon. If we came in the spring or summer I think it likely would have been packed. Late fall hiking has its perks dontchaknow. 

I read this sign from far away and got nervous. Lake Serene??? Did we go the wrong way? I had no idea that if you continue on past Bridal Veil Falls you can get to another beautiful sight, the source of the falls, Lake Serene. I would've LOVED to continue on and see the lake, as it was only another...maybe 1.5 to 2 miles to the lake, but we weren't prepared to be out that late, as it would've been dark and much colder out if we continued. Oh well, look for an update in 2024, if we come back we will for sure hit up the lake as well!

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Old Robe Canyon Trail

I have many old robes in my closet. I went through a robe phase I think. This was before ever seeing The Big Lebowski, so I definitely didn't have The Dude to abide with. I'm not sure where I was going with this. It was mid November and we wanted a small hike to do because it wasn't too cold out, mid 40's. We didn't want to do anything crazy, something decently short and sweet to scratch that hike itch during the rainier (how can I say the word rainy-er, without it looking or sounding like Ranier) cooler season. 

"WARNING. Robe Canyon Trail. Hike at your own risk. Sections of trail ahead are steep and uneven. Hikers have been injured and killed as a result of accidental falls from the trail and gorge overlooks. YOU ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR YOUR SAFETY" Now that's one heck of a sign!

 The trail starts from the parking area which is literally just a small pull-off area on the side of the road, Mountain Loop Highway. There's no driving through a forest service road, there's no parking area, you just pull of the road and you're ready to walk into the forest.

The beginning of the trail with a wide clearing that feeds into some deeper forest

 

We stumbled upon the Old Robe Canyon Trail which AllTrails has at about 2.5 miles. After reading comments, it appears the trail has been officially truncated. Cut short. A washout on the trail has ceased activity on the trail after roughly 1.1 miles into the trail. Or did it? Many hikers claim they continued on the trail after scrambling and putting in a mild effort to get beyond the washout area. We decided to drive out anyway because the pictures showed some neat scenery. We didn't know if we'd continue beyond the washout or not. 

 

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Rattlesnake Lake / Rattlesnake Ledge Trail

Rattlesnake Lake sign at the bottom of the lake

Nestled within Washington's Cascade Mountains, Rattlesnake Lake and the Rattlesnake Ledge Trail stand out as one of the Pacific Northwest's top-tier destinations. Before I moved to Seattle, I visited often since 2014. Before I visited for the first time, my coworker was telling me 'how great it was out there' and how his buddies took a trip out to WA and went hiking to this place called Rattlesnake Ledge. He said he it was 'like a religious experience' getting to the top and looking over the ledge. I never forgot our talk, and now I'm able to finally visit!

"No rattlesnakes live here. However, the lake, ledge, and mountain all carry the name of this powerful reptile. Why?

For thousands of years, Native American travelers crossed the Cascade Mountains. Did the name travel with them from dry Eastern Washington where rattlesnakes do reside? Or could the name reflect more recent times, when a team of surveyors in the nineteenth century ventured east from Seattle? Startled by the rattling of dried camas seed pods in the wind, did they leave the name behind?

Today we find that the true story eludes us, locked in the past, leaving us with only guesses"

Rattlesnake Lake

We almost didn't come because of how foggy and drizzly it was, but man I'm glad we did. Foggy hiking is now something I'd highly recommend!

 

At Rattlesnake Lake, as water levels drop, a curious sight is revealed: an ancient forest of tree stumps. These stumps harken back to an era when a dense forest dominated the region, only to be transformed by logging operations in the early 20th century.

The saga continues with the creation of a dam, altering the water levels and submerging the forest. Though the trees met their end, their stumps endured, shielded beneath the water. On days when the lake retreats, these aged remnants emerge, bearing silent testimony to the delicate balance between man and nature.

 

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Twin Falls Trail -- Olallie State Park

 We planned on doing a bigger hike like Poo Poo Point or Rattlesnake Ledge for this day, but I had a litttttttle too much fun at Hellbent Brewing the night before and just wasn't feeling it. It was still going to be a beautiful late September weekend so I wanted to do something. We settled on Twin Falls Trail at Olallie State Park near North Bend, WA. I definitely don't feel like I settled. What a beautiful area it was! I was worried about the "water features", like the falls and the Snoqualmie River, being attenuated due to the dry summer, but I was pleasantly surprised. It definitely helps we just had a few inches of rain over the past week. As you can see, you need a Discover Pass to park! There are several bathrooms at the trailhead! Yay! A win for my coffee induced small bladder syndrome.

Twin Falls Trailhead Sign Ollallie State Park. Discover Pass Required!

 

So, if you're ever in North Bend, Washington, and itching for a hike, Twin Falls Hiking Trail is a must-do. Nestled amongst the thick forests of the Pacific Northwest, this trail offers a 3.6-mile round trip of pure nature immersion. I really enjoyed it, but my girlfriend went nuts for this place. Every square inch was met with "OOH" "AAH" "WOW!".

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Hiking Lake 22 Trail -- Mountain Loop Highway

Onward to Lake 22! I can't believe we've done 21 lakes so far! Just kidding, who's counting anyway. You can spend the entire 6 mile out-and-back hike wondering what the 22 means, or I can just tell you!
 

You are entering the Lake 22 Research Natural Area (RNA)!

 

Why is it called Lake 22?

"The exact story behind the unique name of Lake 22 remains shrouded in mystery. A popular hypothesis suggests that in the 19th century, railroad cartographers used numbers to identify creeks and their originating lakes in the region. It is believed that the lake and its feeding creek were designated as number 22 on these maps, leading to the name Lake 22". Sounds believable enough. After awhile in an area like Washington you can't just name every beautiful thing you see with something unique. You'd run out of brain space.

 

Lake 22 Hiking 

The Lake 22 Trail is right off of the Mountain Loop Highway outside of Verlot, WA and takes you to a beautiful alpine lake setting. It is literally right down the road from the Heather Lake trailhead. As such,  both trails, Lake 22 and Heather Lake, offer similar hikes in very similar terrain and sights. 

 

Weeping Wet Rocks -- You gotta walk over these dudes!

 I do think I enjoyed the Lake 22 Trail just a bit more though. It's a 6 mile out-and-back hike and just under 1500 feet in elevation gain. It might be every so slightly more challenging than Heather Lake Trail but not by much in my opinion. The lake itself is slightly bigger than Heather Lake as well. 

More Streams to Cross!

 

The trailhead isn't far from the Mountain Loop Highway, in fact the parking area is right off of it in a big parking circle. Parking in the circle was full so we had to park on the side of the entrance way near the road. Not ideal, but not illegal either. Remember kids, get to the trailhead early to avoid people!

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Snow Lake -- Alpine Lakes Wilderness Hiking

We made it!

 How's the hike? Amazing! My coworker was suggesting hikes and said this was one of their favorites. I instantly said "I'm gonna have to try that soon!" and instead of just saying things like most people do, I went to Snow Lake that very weekend! It was a beautiful day to do so, rising into the lower 50s. Not too cold, but not too hot that I would sweat all over. Oh wait...I did sweat all over anyway because that's just how I am. My Osprey daylite let me down. I took it off my back to snag a drink and my back was SOAKED. I thought our waters that we packed leaked inside the pack. When we opened my backpack to pristine dry conditions, imagine my shocked surprise. Good lord I need help. 

Hey buddy, don't think I didn't see you growing in there.

 

Hikes like Snow Lake are my favorite. This was definitely one of my favorite of the year. It has a perfect mix of everything. There's challenging inclines (with numerous switchbacks of course), beautiful mountain views, beautiful forest views, running water streams, and a beautiful lake to rest at before heading back. 

A wonderful reflecting pond on the trail before the lake.

 

This trail is right off of I-90 near Snoqualmie Pass. It shouldn't be confused with the Snow Lake or "Snow Lakes" that is part of the Enchantments! Snow Lake is part of the greater Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest and is in Washington's Alpine Lake Wilderness. Arguably the most beautiful area of the state. The Snow Lake Trail is the most visited and used in the Alpine Lake Wilderness.

This little guy scurried out in front of us on the trail. yay wildlife. we never see any besides birds squirrels and deer.

 

Yes because it's beautiful, but because the trailhead is EASILY accessible by vehicle during the non-snowy season. There's not 3 miles of unkept forest service road that some hikes require you to take. It's not the kind of drive that makes you wonder if your suspension will survive. In fact there's actually a decently sized parking lot to park in, this due mostly in part to the fact that the lot serves as parking for Alpental Ski Area during the snowy months. 

It's okay rock wall, it'll be ok.

 

The hike starts across the street the parking lot and immediately starts an incline. It's decently steep for a short period of time (maybe a quarter mile?) then continues for the next mile as a gradual and doable incline. The rest of the way to the highest point has some fairly steep grades intertwined with numerous switchbacks as you climb and climb and start to get some great sweeping mountain views. 

Cute stream leading to the lake I bet

 

Before the mountain views you're met with a beautiful forest occasionally stepping through running water depending on the season. Once you reach the highest point, you actually have to start going back down in elevation to get down to the lake. You're welcomed with some stunning views of the lake as it opens up on certain parts of the walk down. There was no snow when we were there though! It was a hot summer! Only weeks after visiting I believe Snow Lake got its first flakes of the season though! Good things come to people who wait. 

Insane Fall Views on the trail!

 

There is a little spur from the trail leading to a large rock that overlooks the lake from a high vantage point. If it's not busy you might be able to snag a spot to sit and glance out of the lake and relax.

There's also a huge boulder field to walk through. The path does a decent job at clearing space for you, but you will still have to step over rocks, carefully. Not quite a scramble. More like an amble. Another cool feature of the trail.

There she is in all her glory!

The mountainous backdrop and the crystal clear waters of the lake were insanely relaxing. Despite it being fairly busy with people we were able to claim a rock to sit on by the water and have a snack and drink before trekking back up and out. I would definitely love to come back with a flotation device and just chill on the lake all day. They lake is stocked as well, so you can fish from it.

 

 

 

It's a 7 mile out and back trail and at some point, especially when you're trying to hydrate, you're gonna want to relieve yourself. On the way back from the lake we remembered seeing a sign that said "Toilet" with an arrow. Oh thank goodness! We'll head up there! Kinda weird for them to have an outhouse in the middle of nowhere, but we'll take it! Boy was I wrong. 

Oh perfect!

 

  As a pee-shy individual this was just sadistic. Women, maybe consider bringing a SheWee??? I'm all for rustic but this was unexpected. You can tell I like the outdoors but I am NOT an outdoorsman. x)

WELP. That's the toilet. A wooden box around a hole in the ground. Fantastic.

 

Here is a concrete cabin that used to stand! All that remains is what appears to be a fireplace. 

The ruins of the cabin at Snow Lake trace back to the 1930s, when Aldrich W. Fenton, a timber cruiser and son of Seattle pioneers, built it after purchasing the lakeshore property from the Northern Pacific Railway. He, along with his sons, constructed the cabin, using pack horses to transport materials and felling trees for timbers. However, the cabin collapsed in the heavy snows of 1950, leaving behind the concrete-and-rock foundation that still remains as a testament to its past.

turning around and going home. bye snow lake!

 

This is definitely hike we'll be back to several times over! You can even continue on to Gem Lake on the trail if you have it in you! This isn't one of Washington's best hikes for no reason! A great autumn hike!

More funghi

Man, everybody and everyTHING loves this place I guess!

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