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Mildred Lakes trail requires putting plenty of muscle into it
By KAREN SYKES ![[Bio]](../art/bio_bttn.gif){kind=small}
SPECIAL TO THE POST-INTELLIGENCER
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This time of year we often hike in the Olympics as many trails remain snow-free until quite late in the season. We chose Mildred Lakes as our October outing. On paper it sounded ideal.
It's a four- or five-mile hike to Mildred Lakes, depending on which hiking guide you read. While hiking guidebooks sometimes differ about mileage, all agree that Mildred Lakes is not an easy route. The trail is steep, in places almost non-existent, a maze of root ladders, mossy rocks, mud and logs.
Worse, it's one of those trails that starts out by climbing immediately from the parking lot, before you've had a chance to stretch your muscles. In addition to discovering the beauty of these hard-to-get-to lakes, you also will discover muscles you never knew you had.
The so-called trail is an outdoor gymnasium -- all your limbs, joints, and muscles come into play and it's a challenge to remain upright along several portions. This is not a hike for small children.
However, if you can stick it out and don't get off route or injured, the rewards are there. Weary backpackers will forget their aches and pains when confronted with the beauty of these lakes, set beneath Mount Cruiser and the Sawtooths.
You may be tempted to stop and make camp before you reach the lakes -- don't do it. Keep going, even if it takes most of the day. Allow the time and patience needed to get there and look forward to the payoff.
It was raining when we arrived at the trailhead and we saw no other hikers on the trail. We geared up for the rain, put on our packs, took a deep breath and started immediately up the trail. We had two new additions to our Scout troop. Luckily for the new boys, they had some hiking experience under their belts.
Though it was raining and the terrain was challenging, the forest was lovely, studded with lichen-splashed boulders, brightened by the neon hues of ferns and mosses. The trail does relent from time to time with short level stretches through marshy areas, which would be colorful with wildflowers earlier in the season.
The trail becomes more obscure as it turns and twists devilishly between boulders and trees to a ridge top with small tarns and peeks of the Sawtooth range above a fringe of trees.
It had stopped raining by the time we got to this point and steam was rising from the ground and trees.
We dropped to a stream crossing and contemplated our options. Hikers can "walk the plank" on a skinny log to the other side or make a mad dash across a shallow portion of the stream. I didn't want to get my feet wet, so I crossed on the log.
The stream crossing is a good turnaround or lunch place for hikers. There also are good campsites nearby and while you won't see the drama of the Sawtooths from the creek, it is a very pretty area.
Once you have crossed the creek, however, the trail gets worse. At one point you descend into a ravine on a ladder of roots so steep that most hikers will back down, facing the slope. Another root ladder climbs the other side of the ravine.
From the ravine, the trail stays very steep and there is nothing to do but keep going as there is no place to stop. The trail levels out along an outcropping with views.
A short descent to an alpine area of tarns and meadows makes a tempting campsite, but don't stop, it gets better.
From the tarns, the trail descends to Mildred Lakes, of which there are three.
We followed along the shore of the first lake and hiked to the largest lake, set beneath Mount Cruiser and the Sawtooths.
Despite my aching shoulders, I felt as if we had stepped into heaven. The sun alternated with billowing fog and the scene changed every few moments. We set up camp, changed into dry clothes and I spent the rest of the afternoon indulging in photography. It was a cold evening, but we were rewarded with a sunset as backlit golden clouds passed over the jagged peaks of the Sawtooth range.
Getting there: From Quilcene, drive south on U.S. 101 about 25 miles to the Hamma Hamma River Road (Forest Road 25). Drive about 14 miles to the road end and parking, elevation 1,678 feet.
Trail detail: After a short uphill introduction, the trail stays level as it goes through second-growth forest. The trail steepens as it traverses the mountainside and at the end of the logged area, the trail enters virgin forest. The trail deteriorates as it climbs through rocks and tree roots to a ridge with glimpses of the peaks through the trees.
Straight ahead is the Sawtooth range followed by a descent to the creek (a tributary of the Hamma Hamma) and campsites at 3,000 feet. Cross on the log nature provided or dash across the stream if you are continuing to the lakes. A short distance away is a deep ravine -- the route descends on roots and then goes up the other side, also on roots.
Now it is simply uphill, the most strenuous section of the trail. The trail levels out on a small ridge with a good campsite (no water) and good views of the Sawtooths. The trail drops into subalpine forest and crosses an alpine area of meadows and tarns. The first of the lakes is reached at about five miles, elevation 3,900 feet.
The trail continues around the lake, passes several campsites and leads to a small stream at the other end of the lake. Cross the stream and hike the final half-mile to the main lake.
There are only a few good campsites, but chances are you'll have your pick -- it's just too hard to get here. From the lake, there are good views of Mount Cruiser to the right and Mount Lincoln to the left.
Trail data: Round trip is 10 miles, with an elevation gain of 2,300 feet and 600 feet elevation gain on the way out. For more detailed information, refer to "The Olympic Mountains Trail Guide" by Robert Wood (The Mountaineers, 320 pages, $14.95).
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