A 4 mile hike round trip on a cloudless day and three volcanoes to view.  I chose the west side approach.  

The first half mile is easy and the tread compacted and well worn.  The second half mile ascends a thin ridge heading to the summit at mile 1.  In some areas of this ascent the tread is loose and roots contribute to the challenge.  Hiking poles are recommended - especially descending.  The half way point is the first reward with a commanding view north at 3570' elevation.  You are now at the top of a cirque with the tarn as your goal.  The descending trail starts at the arête and makes a series of switchbacks but always moving across and down the cirque clockwise.  The trail for this rambler ended at the lake outlet.  A perfect alpine lake complete with brook trout.  Campsites are available.  The trail continues on but  I returned the same way.  

WTA logged all the blowdowns in 2017.  Beginning at the west trailhead the crew worked their way down to the east trailhead crosscutting massive log.  

We attempted to go in via the eastern side of Soda Peaks.  However, we were not ready for the difficult climb from the east, as the mileage and elevation listed on WTA is assuming the approach is from the west.  Coming from the east, according to Gifford Pinchot National Forest's website, it seems the eastern side is roughly 7.3 miles -- 1.8 miles from Trapper Creek trail 192 to Soda Peaks trail 133, and another 5.5 miles from Soda Peaks trail 133 to the lake.  We estimate the entirety of the trail is a little over 3000 ft elevation gain.  Be prepared for the longer hike if coming from the eastern approach. 

The trail system is in fairly good condition.  One water bed is dry, the second is easy to cross with trekking poles or good balance, and the third has a nicely built bridge to utilize.  As long as you are aware of the trails you need to stay on to get to Soda Lakes, the system is well labeled at each junction and easy to navigate.

Drove down early Saturday morning and hit the trail by 10am.  There were 3 cars in the area off of FR54, but most people were day hikers and only one other group actually stayed overnight.  Don't be concerned if mosquitoes are bad at the trail head - when I arrived the trailhead was full of mosquitoes but the lake had only a few mosquitoes and there weren't even many on the trail after the first 200 yards.   

The hike is short but challenging and those with a full pack will likely need several stops along the way.  Once you finally crest ridge and start heading down to the lake you will get some great views of the lake with the mountains in the background.

At the lake there were 4 campspots (2 on the northern side and 2 on the southern side of the lake). There is also one day campsite which is a great place for fishing or swimming.  I tried my hand a fishing but had no success this trip - I suspect I didn't have the right bait.

While it did cool down after sunset the weather was very enjoyable and only required a light blanket (along with an underquilt for my hammock). 

I would recommend this overnight trip to anyone up for the hike in.  It offers relative solitude (meet perhaps 4-5 small groups with only one staying the night) with only a short hike in.

We hiked from the west trailhead on Forest Road 54, which is a shorter route than described in the Day Hiking Columbia Gorge guidebook.

From Stevenson, drive east on SR 14 for 3 miles. Turn left on Wind River Highway, signed for Carson. Drive north for 8.7 miles to Stabler. Turn left on Hemlock Road. In 0.2 mile, turn right on Szydlo Road, which becomes Forest Road 54. Drive 13.4 miles to a 3-way intersection and the end of pavement. Turn right onto Spur 307 and park before the gate. The unsigned trail starts opposite the small parking area.

The trail ascended steeply through shaded forest to a ridgeline above Soda Peaks Lake and the Trapper Creek Wilderness boundary. There are views down into the cirque basin with glimpses of Soda Peaks Lake, while Mount Adams and the Goat Rocks are visible on the northern horizon.

The trail then descended down to the lake shore where we found a log with a view for our lunch stop. A flock of Vaux's swifts was calling and swooping across the lake, dipping down to drink or snatch up an insect on the lake surface.

The hiking distance was 4.4 miles round trip, with 1,270 feet elevation gain.