Blue Lake — Thursday, Oct. 7, 2021

Larches are definitely golden, but I think they might be nearly ready to drop those needles.

Got to the parking lot around 9:45 am after leaving Seattle at 6. The lot only seemed to be about 2/3 full, but it was all parked up with cars parked along the freeway by the time I returned at 1:20 pm. The parking lot was also a little frosty in the morning, but wasn't anything my little Kia Soul couldn't handle. Passed a few slower hikers who started around the same time I did and a few early risers on their way down, but otherwise wasn't too crowded on my way up. Ran into a pretty steady stream of hikers heading to the lake on my way down, though.

The trail itself was well-maintained the whole way. A little frosty, especially in the morning, and a little slippery in some places. However, I was fine with just hiking boots on the way up and poles on the way down for a little extra stability. The weather was beautiful and the views, lake, and larches were all stunning!