The bridge has been replaced and the trail to Boulder Lake is open! We started from the trailhead at 8:45 / 32 degrees. Parts of the road were very frosty, but I didn't have any trouble with traction. Bathrooms are stocked and open. We were the only ones out hiking this trail today and the only car in the parking lot. 

The trail is the same for Boulder and Greider Lakes until the pond. Go right for Greider. Go left for Boulder. The road-trail towards Boulder continues a long way, dipping down to cross many creeks, then a climb up the other side. The crossings weren't too bad, but the ground was frozen and covered in hoar frost for long stretches, which could be slippery.

About 1.5 hr from the parking lot, we finally reached the official start to the Boulder Lake trail. The old road, now trail, heads up into the forest, crosses Boulder Creek on the big, new bridge, and continues up and up. The trail  narrows and continues to climb. In the forest, the ground was thawed and easy to walk on. Once it breaks out into the open, the ground was frozen and slippery. Then back into the forest where you climb over at least two very large downed trees, find a bypass where the trail has been obliterated by more trees, navigate a tricky creek crossing, rotting boardwalks, and back to good trail. 

At 12:30 we figured we still had about a mile to go. We decided to call it a day rather than race for the lake, skip a hot lunch, and return by headlight. We sat in the middle of the trail to heat our soup while a shaft of sunlight warmed our chilled bones. Then we headed back down. Arrived at the car just after 4pm. 13 miles / 2,668 ft gain including all the many ups and downs. A very beautiful day in the mountains.

This trail is currently having maintenance done and is in the process of being restored, bridge down on the trail last fall and 3 more done since then for a total of 4 in the last year, lots of prioritization going towards this trail now so keep your eyes on it, the main trail is currently being brushcut…

No, the hiking grandmas didn't go to Boulder, but I do have a bit of info after talking to a hiker that had been in there, I'll post it at the end. This is for Greider and I'm going to give a bit more info on this trail than previous reports have. The road to the TH is paved and then good gravel, loos are clean and stocked. There are 2 new bridges toward the beginning, but they are NOT FINISHED and not stabilized, so you will still have to cross the creek on some well-placed logs and rocks. There is a picnic table and loo at the Nighthawk picnic area about a mile in. There is a warning at the beginning of the trail about a nasty blowdown 2/3s of the way up the switchbacks, it is no joke. This is one nasty jackstraw mess of hanging root balls, crossed logs, rock and mud. Clearing this up will probably require a professional sawyer, chain saw and perhaps a stick of dynamite, plus a closed trail until it's done. I've been on enough work parties to know this is a dangerous logout. Meanwhile, you have to navigate your way thru it. I posted a picture and a bit of instruction on how we did it. I did flag a few spots so we could find our way back down easier. Some hikers cut thru the brush, but I feel that just erodes the trail and not a good idea. Deal with the mud.  Once past this one, you have another smaller one to deal with, for that one, just shoot straight up the bank beside it, hand over hand up, dirt glissade down for me. Other than the nasty blowdown, the trail is pretty good mostly, but toward the top it is a bit of a rocky rooty mess with rotten, falling apart stairs that are more hinderance than help. It's also a tough climb, I freely admit this trail was hard for me, but I'm old and ornery. We had no views of the lake and were running short on time, so we bailed on Big Greider today. The loo at little Greider is a biohazard. Why does the DNR go to all the trouble to put these in and then not take care of them? 

Now about Boulder, the man we talked to had found his way in there a year ago, he made his way across the creek on a log, but the trail is pretty much gone now. He found pieces of it here and there, but eventually found the lake by just bushwhacking, so don't count on a trail. What a shame, that is a beautiful lake, we were up there 30 years ago when the road went thru and it was a 5 mile hike in. 

First off for those who were worried that boulder lake would become a lost and forgotten trail no need to worry, the DNR has begun to reclaim this trail  recently removing the old bridge and having begun what looks like prepping for a new bridge. They have also begun brushing large swaths of the original trail mostly on the avalanche slope and on the road approach, removal of almost all the fallen trees along trail, and cutting of standing trees in areas of bridge site and old parking lot.

But the trail is still quite difficult to navigate there is still a good part of the trail that still needs brushing and this area is difficult to navigate, the brush is over 5 ft high and thick along the original trail route and at times the trail disappears completely.  Even though they brushed out the part of the trail in the avalanche prone slope area this can still be difficult and dangerous to traverse, the original trail bed in this part no longer exists and and has quite a bit of moss covered holes that one can step into and break an ankle, there are also lots of 2-4 inch stubs sticking out along the brushed out spots from the trees and brush that were removed that make walking difficult. the lake it self is quite buggy, the mosquitos and gnats haven't had anything to feast on in quite a while. 

So even with all the difficulties experienced hiking up to the lake that doesn't take away from the grandeur, enjoyment and  solitude that one can experience at the lake.( its also probably best not to go to the lake during the weekdays as not to interfere with the ongoing work up there.)

Some photos of the old Boulder Lake TH. Nature is taking it back.

6/23/2021