I've done many variations of this trail, but there have been a few recent changes to report. I started out on the Fragrance Lake trail where just before the final bit to the lake I headed off for the junction to the Lost Lake trail. Instead of going on directly to Lost Lake, I like to take the scenic route up and over North Chuckanut which starts out as a faint trail to the left right after turning off onto the Lost Lake trail. This has always been a butt kicker with the local name of "chin scraper". Appropriate. There has been recent work done through adding some switchbacks to ease the pain. However, my personal feeling is that the left turn at the first junction about 1/3 mile up the trail is best skipped. I followed it today and I get the feeling that it was built by trail cyclist. It's a roller coaster of a route with several places where it would be nasty to encounter a bike and no way to see it coming, or for them to see hikers. Truth is, I actually felt a bit envious since my days of surviving a head first dive over my handlebars are well behind me. I imagine this is fun as hell for some. There is a sign at the beginning of the trail encouraging all to share the trails here, but it almost seems more appropriate to make this a bike trail only. Especially since there is a perfectly viable trail that hikers could use. That way bikers could let loose and we wouldn't need to fear for our safety on trails like these. I'm not sure we should always have to share ALL the trails as long as there are alternatives for all users. I didn't see any cyclists on this trail today, but it's obviously used by them and looking at the construction, I'm thinking it was built by them as well. The Chuckanuts is a popular trail cycling area, and on my many encounters with them I've always had a positive experience. But then again, this is Bellingham and everybody says "hi". It's the friendliest place around. After topping out on North Chuckanut, I took the Rock Trail down to Lost Lake for lunch at my favorite sunny rock overlook. Then south past the outlet and lake end to the junction leading to South Chucknut Mountain and views galore. After a quick mango juice guzzling break, I decided on the long way back to the car via the South Chuckanut road/trail. On the drive back on Chuckanut Drive I once again had to brave the obstacle course that is the Oyster Dome trailhead. I'm afraid that some day the powers that be will shut this down altogether due to safety violations and improper parking. I bet there were fifty cars parked on the side of the road and probably only ten or so can park here legally. There were several with tires completely inside the driving lane and pedistrians everywhere. I had to slow down to 15 and sometimes a complete stop just to make sure that I didn't hit a car or person. Folks, when the parking area is full go somewhere else! Lookout Mt., North Chuckanut, Pine and Cedar Lakes, Cultus, or this winter.........almost anywhere!

Set out from the trail head on Old Samish Way with the WWU hiking club. I haven't hiked this trail in over three years, and truly forgot how much of a hidden gem this trail is. Starting off from the roadside trail head, you quickly intersect the Hemlock Trail and hike alongside the beautiful Chuckanut Creek before crossing a nicely built bridge and beginning the climb. The trail is very well maintained in this section and it is clear that recent work has been done to clear a few massive trees that had once blocked the trail. You continue to climb upwards on a very wide and mud free trail. The way this trail transitions from short steep climbs to rolling flat sections helps to ease the pain of the elevation gain and makes it feel like more of a soft stroll than a steep climb, very different from other hikes in the Chuckanuts (See Oyster Dome or Raptor Ridge). Eventually your climb will come to an end, and the trail parallels massive rock walls (Chuckanut Sandstone?) as you top out and begin to descend to the lake. It's in this section that there are some muddy areas that are avoidable with some carefully placed steps or some waterproof boots. Two massive mud pits cover the trail in the swampy area North of the lake. This is where your boots will come in handy in case you slip from the balance-beam-like trail of logs that cut through it. (Although it is still very doable without boots.) After crossing the makeshift log trail you can either drop down close to the lake or stay left and follow the ridge that flanks the lake to the East. The lower trail is a bit overgrown but leads you along the edge of the lake and has some nice spots to enjoy lunch either on a log over the lake or at the foot of a cliff. We first went this way and laid out on the rock below the cliff and soaked up the sun. If you follow the upper trail along the ridge you will top out on the cliff which has the nicest views of the whole lake, a perfect place to sit and take it all in. Continuing South from the cliff you will come across the one outlet from the lake which rolls along the rock before dropping at least 30 feet down a beautiful waterfall. We didn't camp, though there are nice spots on the North end of the lake and one small spot near the creek. I would highly recommend this trip, as it is one of the least popular of the hikes in the Chuckanuts despite all it has to offer. So if you're looking to avoid the crowds of Oyster Dome, check out Lost Lake and find some peace and quiet.

There were some muddy spots on the way to the lake. There was a big mud pit right before getting to the lake that my boys loved. You mostly can avoid the mud if you stay on the wood planks that serve as a bridge over the mud. The lake was kind of hard for us to find and we couldn't find a large opening around the lake to sit and eat. It was a little too long of a hike for my kids.

After waking to a brisk 31 degrees at Larrabee State Park, my decision to go hiking remained firm. After all, I'd spent the night at the campground with the specific intention to explore Chuckanut Mountain. I'd wanted to hit up Oyster Dome, but I also had a rare day to spend in Bellingham before heading home, and I felt like I shouldn't spend too much of it driving. So I elected to hit up the North Chuckanut Mountain trailhead and start walking. I kept my map in my pocket for important fork-in-the-road decisions, though it was barely necessary -- the trails are remarkably well signed. I stayed at the north end of the mountain, hitting up Huckleberry Point (the viewpoint is only so-so) and Raptor Ridge (which always makes me think of dinosaurs). As I looped back on the Hemlock Trail, I ducked off for the ~1 mile detour to Chuckanut Falls...not running very high, but pleasant nonetheless. After some casual map consultation, I figure I did about 7-8 miles. The PF that's been a bother since early October is getting better, though I noticed weird twinges in my feet around mile 7. I suppose it's a combination of compensating for the PF and still trying to break in new shoes. Only saw one group of four hikers at the very last major junction of the day. Frost stuck around for quite a while, and the surroundings were beautiful, even if the views weren't expansive.