S3 E12 Lena Lake and Upper Lena Lake Olympic National Park, WA September 2016

We enjoyed camping at Lena Lake on Friday night and then made a day trip to Upper Lena Lake on Saturday. On September 3rd we encountered maybe 15-20 people on the upper Lena Lake Trail, about half of which were staying overnight. Some thimble berries were turning red and delicious. The huckleberries I tried we're not ripe yet. A mile or so of trail was steep and a little slick in places with nothing but rocks and roots at times. We were both glad we brought two hiking poles each. Most notable was the hornet hazard in the middle of the trail prior to the steep ascent. Look for green letters etched in to the wooden board walk that say "HORNETS". Follow a faint short cut to the left before the red ribbons and avoid getting stung. More than one person on our hike reported multiple stings, most likely because they missed the alternate route and were wearing shorts. According to the WTA website on 11/3/2016, "The bridge over Lena Creek is severely damaged, Forest Service recommends not using it." The hike to Lena Lake is doable for nearly every type of hiker. A wide path switchbacks gently at first and then just a little more steeply uphill through old- and second-growth forest to a large lake ringed by silent sentinels--huge old-growth fir trees that keep watch over day hikers and campers who elect to stay overnight at this wilderness refuge. Beginning at the trailhead, an inviting path leads uphill into the forest. Roots and rocks are present, but for the most part, the way is smooth, and you’ll enjoy the sound of Lena Creek crashing downhill until a long traverse takes you away from the big stream. But you’re hardly leaving water. All along the way, waterfalls, streams, rivulets, and small drips cross the trail, keeping WTA volunteers busy each year building drainage ditches to keep your feet dry. Where the creek crossings are large, bridges provide not only a dry crossing, but also photo opportunities looking both uphill and down. One mile from the trailhead you’ll enter a forest made up of more old-growth than second-growth. Carry on, keeping an eye out for a truly enormous boulder; a glacial erratic from eons past. Shortly after the boulder, find yourself on a beautiful bridge that crosses a dry gully! Take some photos from this unusual crossing, and then continue on to a fork about three miles from the trailhead. The right fork takes you down to the lakeshore just a few hundred feet, but hiking along for roughly one-quarter mile leads you to a beautiful overlook of Lena Lake. You can’t access the lake from here, but it’s a great spot to stop and enjoy lunch, laze in the sun, and get some good shots of the large lake below. For a more detailed description and up-to-date trip reports, check out this link on the WTA website were some of this text was sourced: https://www.wta.org/go-hiking/hikes/l... A Northwest Forest Pass is required to park a the Lena Lake trailhead. Weather was drizzly but views were still spectacular! Hope to return to the upper lake for an overnight some day. Soundtrack provided by: The Motet "What's the Purpose" http://themotet.com Here are some gear choices I've used with success and can recommend: Osprey Atmos 50 Men's Backpack: http://amzn.to/2hLEBKe Altra Men's Lone Peak 3 Running Shoe http://amzn.to/2zsFsuB Nemo Tensor 20 Sleeping Pad http://amzn.to/2zhvkRv Flash Personal Cooking System http://amzn.to/2ziEL2I I use a North Face sleeping bag very similar to this one: http://amzn.to/2A1QEOo Cocoon Silk Mummy Liner http://amzn.to/2A9fvPU