Hike to Snow Lake

I am not a big fan of hiking. But when researching on what to do in the weekends during the summer time, I found that there are numerous hikes in the Seattle area (like 50 or so miles in & around Seattle). There is even a site Washington Hikes dedicated exclusively to provide details about such hikes. So, this past weekend, I picked out this hike randomly from the site and decided to go there with 3 other friends.

Turns out that this hike has a difficulty level of moderate, which means beginners like me will find it difficult. And boy, did I find it to be difficult. It almost killed me, particularly towards the end where I had to take a break every few feet. The main reason for the difficulty in completing this hike is the elevation gained during the course of the hike. We began at an altitude of around 2000 feet and the place we finished was at a good 4100 feet elevation. The destination was a lake called Snow Lake. The lake is completely surrounded by mountain peaks of the Mt. Baker - Snoqualmie National forest area.

The lake though completely justified its name, with even in a summer month like this, there was a good amount of snow still floating in the lake. The lake was amazingly beautiful and the moment I saw it, I was completely blown away by its beauty. Serene beauty would be the right word to describe the lake. The atmosphere at the lake was so peaceful and calm, with not many hikers having made their way yet to the lake.

The hike lasted a total of 4 hours, including 1 hour at the lake. The total distance covered round trip was 7 miles. Though it was a tough & exerting hike, the lake which we got to see at the end of the hike was worth every calorie burnt. The weather was just perfect as we started early in the morning and returnd it got too hot. Overall, it was a very satisfying trip. So, bouyed by the success (?!) of this hike, planning to do more such hikes in the coming weeks.

Here are some pictures from the hike: