the anti experience of Ed

Yesterday I was determined to go hiking, despite the fact that I had gone canoeing on Lake Washington on the previous day. Unfortunately, I had a truncated day, as I had to pick up vegetables for work from a local farmer at the West Seattle green market. So, I thumbed through the guidebook and found Lake Twenty-Two, a 5.4 mile hike right near Mt. Pilchuck. After dropping off the vegetables at home and packing my backpack, I set off.

What is immediately fantastic about this hike is that there isn’t a long drive to the trailhead on a gravel road; the trailhead is just two miles away from the Verlot Service Center inside the Mt. Baker - Snoqualmie Forest, about 13 miles away from Granite Falls. It’s basically an uphill climb for 2.7 miles through some lovely forest and then some rocks until you hit the lake. I was huffing and puffing for the first 2 miles but then it got easy just in time for the trail to pleasantly level off.

What’s interesting about this area is that it’s a research area, and it’s kept in immaculate condition; no camping or fires are allowed and there are really strange looking plants about that I hadn’t seen before. It’s a fairly popular trail, although I didn’t run into very many fellow hikers and was able to find plenty of time alone on the Sunday afternoon (or maybe Saturday is the prime day for hiking?). Apprently, the area has been set aside by scientists to study how actively unmanaged land can maintain itself. I would say nature’s doing a pretty good job.

At the end of the trail, the lake moreoreless suddenly appears, and it’s a majestic sight. It’s surrounded on three sides by forested cliffs and the north face of Mt. Pilchuck. The lake has a boardwalk running around a portion of it, and there is a trail that loops around the rest of the way around the lake. Apparently these are recent developments….! I walked around the lake, had lunch at the base of Mt. Pilchuck, and happily galloped back down. I then drove back home, picking up Thai food on the way in, ate, showered, and fell asleep on my bed. This was a good Sunday…..