Did a quick hike up to lake while temps were cooler (74 degree) in the shade.

Easy trek and very few people.    Wish we would have looked at going on further but didn't have additional trail info.  We plan on going back so we can go further.

Hiked this sweet little jaunt up to June Lake today with my mom and one of my dogs. It’s mostly uphill to the lake, but totally do-able. Nice and shady most of the way. The waterfall into the lake is a nice treat to watch while taking a break for a snack. Hardly any bugs - we definitely expected more! We got to the TH about 9:30am on a Friday morning and there were only a couple parking spots left. 

Late June, three days... the Loowit Trail seemed like a logical choice. And boy, did it NOT disappoint!

We chose a clockwise route starting from the June Lake trail head on June 26, 2020 at 7am. The trail to June Lake is well-graded and well-traveled. We saw a few campers at the small lake and some ill-tended fire pits and a bit of garbage. We took a few minutes to enjoy the waterfall before starting the short, steep ascent to the trail junction for the Loowit Trail loop.

The first day was a bit rough. It was very hot and exposed. The rock hopping and trail finding over the lava beds is not easy hiking. The grueling climb up Monitor Ridge is tiresome, even with all of the switchbacks. This was also the section with the infamous rope scrambles. And they were not a joke. The loose scree slipped underfoot, the ropes sometimes seemed to cause more hassle, and going down was definitely more scary than going up the other side. The rewards? Endless views of Mount Adams, Mount Hood, and Mount Jefferson. Endless meadows of colorful wildflowers. Endlessly deep glacial valleys and terminal moraines. We camped after ~11.7 miles at a dispersed site on the northern bank of the South Toutle River.

Day two was the lengthy one at 13.3 miles, which is required of all thru-hikers as camping is not permitted in the blast zone of the volcano. We spent the day weaving down into dry channels and back out again, walking against the wind over barren wastelands of volcanic debris, and passing numerous folks completing the trail as an epic ultra. We settled down next to the only clear water source for lunch, a short distance before the trail junction for Loowit Falls. The wind hammered us as we ascended the glorified goat trail up Windy Pass (which only seemed appropriate). The Plains of Abraham might have been my favorite part as the purple flowers were incredible and the expanse of the plains was truly otherworldly. We camped near the junction of the Abraham and Truman trails and the area was very crowded and exposed to the wind. We were lucky to find a small clearing that was relatively protected, but we used every guy line we brought to secure our tent. The water source here was excellent.

We planned this loop carefully, leaving less than seven miles for our final day, for two reasons. We wanted to do the lava flows on fresh legs (day one) and the forecast predicted rain on our third day; also not great conditions for rock hopping. So the final day was gloomy and cool... a perfect respite from the blazing sun and forceful winds. Hillsides covered in bear grass greeted us around every corner and the carve valleys were desolate, with their own beauty. We arrived back at our car by 3pm, changed, and made it home in time to grab dinner at a local restaurant.

It was a magical and challenging weekend; a trip I would encourage everyone to try in their lives.

Absolutely beautiful hike! The hike is fun and beautiful the whole way up! Very nicely marked trail easy to follow!