Day Hike to Surprise Lake - Hwy 2

This weekend takes us north to Surprise Lake off Hwy 2. The ranger says that it's accessible, so presumably the "cross a creek, hopefully atop a fallen tree" still applies. It should take about an hour and a half to get there, putting us on the trail ~10:30 and back in plenty of time for dinner.

Meet at the P&R at 8:30, leave at 8:45 sharp. I will send out my contact info to those that rsvp. Depending on the number of folks that come, I may need another driver. A NW Forest Pass is required for parking.

It looks like it's going to be another warm weekend, so PLEASE be sure to bring at LEAST 2L water unless you intend to bring your own water purification stuff, as well as plenty of munchies and the 10 essentials. Friendly, well-mannered leashed dogs are welcome - please be sure to post if you're bringing you're furry friend so others know what to expect.

Hope to see you there!

The stats:

8.5mi RT (unless EVERYONE is up for continuing past Surprise Lake another mile or two)
elevation 2300'
This past weekend was muddy, so plan accordingly.

From wta.org:

The trail to Surprise Lake starts out under some power lines, but you quickly transition to the shade of the giant trees. Hike along a well-maintained trail for about a mile, then cross a creek, hopefully atop a fallen tree. After another half mile you cross another creek.

Continue, following along Surprise Creek and catch the beautiful glimpses of waterfalls (ranging from 2-6') and icy clear pools. After two miles, the ascent begins up through the creek valley. Soon the trail heads east and you'll begin switchbacking up the side of the valley. You travel up the valley wall for about a mile on switchbacks (gaining about 1,000' in elevation). On a clear day you can see mountain views through a gap in the two ridges that you will pass between.

Down the other side is Surprise Lake. They weren't kidding when they named it Surprise either. You see a small creek and then you cross over it and go up a very small hill then it is all of a sudden there. It is almost like the small hill you go up (on the very north east side of the lake) was built up as a reservoir. There is a great lunch spot that hooks out into the lake, and it has a very large boulder to sit and have your meal. There are some great rocks to lounge on at the south end of the lake.

A longer option is to continue on south to Glacier Lake, another beauty just like Surprise and even a little bit bigger.

UPDATE:
Some snow possible, but not unmanageable. As of July 3rd on wta:

Features: Wildflowers blooming
Issues: Blowdowns | Water on trail | Snow on trail
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Managed to drive past the turn-off for the trailhead, so I'm offering this map link showing the location, which Google...
Managed to drive past the turn-off for the trailhead, so I'm offering this map link showing the location, which Google Maps says is 9.9 miles past Skykomish: http://tinyurl.com/oj...

Turn left immediately after getting off Route 2, proceed past the gravel pile, cross the tracks, turn right, and take a short stretch of road into the forest, paralleling the rails and crossing a creek. The trailhead is clearly marked. There were lots of cars, but not as many as I expected, given the holiday. We saw a good number of hikers and happy dogs, but not so many that it felt crowded.

The trail is in good shape, with some mud and snow further up the trail, but we were fine in just hiking boots. The few blowdowns were easy to step over. Wildflowers were abundant, with the lower stretch showcasing blankets of bunchberry. Queen's cup and salmonberry were also blooming in spots. After the log crossing Surprise Creek, there were lots of trillium in white, pink, and everything in between. We also saw bleeding heart, mountain bluebell, shooting star, foamflower, and more. More photos here: http://www.flickr.com...[…]/

Most of the lake is ice-free, and we even saw a little trout hanging out not a meter from the bank. That was the only fish I saw in the crystal-clear water, but it was a sunny mid-afternoon, and bugs were only starting to come out in force as we were leaving the lake---no biting bugs, though. Except for a few muddy spots, there was still lots of snow around the lake, so sunglasses were handy. However, finding a lunch spot wasn't hard. We were happy to share, but there were enough folks around enjoying the lake (and even taking a quick dive in!) that you never really felt alone.

It was a warm day, so we were happy we brought along a filter. Surprise Creek just off the lake was an easy spot to refill our bottles before our descent.