It is touch and go getting to Heather Lake trailhead with deep snow on sideroad from Mt. Loop Hwy. Big tired vehicles have left the potential for high centering passenger cars with standard size tires. It was a toboggan ride which nearly put us in a ditch even though we were driving a Subaru Legacy with all wheel drive. The first half of the road is is pretty fair shape with not much snow which just sucks you into proceeding further up the road where there are no chances to turn around until the Heather trailhead. Be careful!

Decided on Heather Lake for a snow hike, as I had not been up there this year, and wanted something not to hard after cross country skiing the day before. When I got to the parking lot one mile off the Mtn. Loop Highway there were several vehicles already parked. Once heading up the trail I caught up to a grandfather and three of his young grand kids out for a day in the forest. There were several stream crossing on the way and places where water was running down the middle of the trail. After getting up the the line between the second growth and old growth forest snow was on the ground. The snow was packed down on the trail to the lake, which is now froze over. After eatting my lunch, gramps and the 3 kids finally got to the lake. By now the kids cotton jeans where about half wet. They didn't have any gloves or hats either. I put on my snowshoes for the loop around Heather Lake and you needed them. Most of the time I could stay on the surface of the three feet of snow, but once in a while I'd punch through. Someone had tried going part way along the lake, but they had only post holed. Only a few people had packed snowshoes up with them the explore the cirque on Mt. Pilchuck. Even saw a few bugs flying around or crawling on the snow. By the time I headed back down from the lake, gramps and the kids had already left. They most have gotten down okay this time, as they were gone when I got to the parking lot. Hopefully some day parents will know not to send there kids out into the snowy mountains wearing cotton clothes. I had first went up to Heather Lake way back in 1953 when my dad packed me up there on his back. See a photo in the Dec.'01 Backpacker magazine. He rigged a Trapper Nelson home made pack (built 1939) with a kids chair to take me on hikes and I have been going ever since those earlier years.

Beautiful day at Heather Lake. Trail is generally in good condition, a little muddy in some spots. No snow anywhere near the trail, if you climb up to the waterfalls above the lake there's a tiny bit left. Water is cold but swimmable. There's a maintence crew redoing a lot of boardwalk around the lake, supposedly there 'til the 11th. One more thing: The road appears to have been recently visited by a grader, it's washboarded as always but no potholes at the moment to the trailhead, and the gate there was taken out.

The lake is entirely snow free, and the avalanche snow, which is usually present on the southwest side of the lake this time of year, is completely gone. The waterfalls are still great though. Flowers are barely starting to come out.

Hiked to Heather Lake yesterday (4/21). Perfect weather made this pleasant hike into pure joy. About the last 1/2 to 3/4 mile of this two mile trail was covered in hard-packed snow, so having a walking stick or ski poles would have been handy, but I survived without. Before reaching the snow pack, there is snow and water in spots on the trail, and some parts are a little bit mucky, but nothing that a good pair of hiking boots can't get through with little trouble. The lake itself was absolutely wonderful, and absolutely crowded. This was my first time hiking to this spot, but will not be my last. RCB