Hiking Lake Twenty Two

We are experiencing an unusually warm June here in Northwest Washington, so today Rick and I went on a beautiful hike to Lake Twenty Two.  Neither of us had ever been on this hike before, but our friends Don and Jim went on this hike last week and told us how much they enjoyed it.

The hike to Lake Twenty Two is a little over 6 miles round trip, which included walking the trail around the lake.   The lake is on the Mountain Loop Trail near Granite Falls, Washington, in the Cascade Mountains.

The information board below is interesting:

Information board

we walk and listen to the pika making its chirping sounds as it gathers a leafy dinner…western red cedar and western hemlock rule the forest here and at one point i stop to put my heart up against a gigantic old-growth tree…for a moment i feel i might cry because the tree is enormous and i feel like a child being embraced by pure gentleness…the tree seems to breathe against my body, it seems to have a wordless language i understand,  the tree is a generous mother…a bluejay dazzles my eyes with its sapphire wings, an orange butterfly teases me, never stopping long enough for me to take a photo,  the ferns are unfurled and the fresh green colors stand out sharply, rick spots a woodpecker and we watch its red head moving rapidly as it searches for insects…

wildflower: columbine
wildflower: columbine
Close up: lichen on granite
Close up: lichen on granite
lake
Lake Twenty Two in Granite Falls

the sun warms up the pine sap and the air is scented and intoxicating…we walk across scree and well maintained trails,  when we get to the lake, we see the receding snow, the placid lake with its reflections of trees, snow, and blue sky, perfectly imperfect crooked trails lead us to paradise!

the crazy perfect imperfect path that goes around the lake
the crazy perfect imperfect path that goes around the lake

wildflowers grow between rocks covered in lichen, if only i knew the names of all the wildflowers! 

wildflowers
wildflowers
more wildflowers
more wildflowers
orange lichen
orange lichen
lichen close up
lichen close up
looking at the water from the bridge...just before I took this shot, two trout darted under the logs
looking into the lake from the bridge…just before I took this shot, two trout darted under the logs
shadows over the snowy banks of the lake
shadows over the snowy banks of the lake

 

 

 

 

 

 

By Fran Gallo

READ ABOUT THE AUTHOR: FRAN GALLO

8 comments

  2. How I wanted to linger, to lie beside the lake and let the light and air, the mountain smells and high altitude warmth, hold me forever. Part of me still lingers there!

    Rick

    1. I know! You seemed really sad to have to leave! Good news is that the lake/hike is not too far from the city so we can go there again and again! -fran

  3. Wow, what a day! The pictures are wonderful and how beautifully you describe everything. Thanks for sharing!

    1. I love that trail! Rob and I would do this hike fairly often and enjoyed it both in the winter and summer- two completely different journeys. On especially hot days, we would jump into the chilly lake. Another hike close by is Heather Lake, though you can’t go all around the lake like this one. Still, it’s beautiful.

      1. Hi Tika! Why should it surprise me that you and Rob enjoyed this hike often, too? I can’t believe it was my first time there, but certainly the first of many future hikes there. We almost jumped into the lake, but next time I will! The lake was iced over until last week, so I was chicken to get my feet wet! And I will check out Heather Lake. That loop offers amazing hikes! love, Fran

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