A group of six of us (ages 16-51) decided to hike up to Lanham Lake on Saturday morning. We agreed not to rush in the morning and instead hoped to catch the first wave of departures from the Nordic Center parking lot. We arrived around noon to a full parking lot, but managed to find a spot with a little patience.
I break the trail down into three segments. All three segments are snow-covered. While it's possible you could do it with spikes, we hiked on snowshoes throughout.
Segment One (TH to power lines - 0.5 miles): Moderate snow under forest canopy. Relatively mundane hiking with little of note to see. Some moderate climbing but don't give up on the trail ahead because segment two is phenomenal. When you arrive at the groomed trail under the power lines, make a turn to the right but only follow the groomed trail for about 50 meters. There will be a snowshoe track on the left which will take you up the hill directly under the power lines. This is a good place for a snowball fight if you don't mind the crazy electrical popping overhead.
Segment Two (power lines to hill climb - 0.9 miles): Head due south from the power lines into the trees and you'll enter the wonderland part of the trail. Here things are relatively flat and the snow-covered trees and rocks take on magical forms. The trail winds moderately so you never quite know what's around the next corner. Take your time and enjoy!
Segment Three (hill climb to the lake - 0.6 miles): The trail begins the final climb to the lake and is relatively steep at times. You may also need to watch out for skiers. During this stretch, we had six downhill skiers in two groups surprise us so stay alert. The lake was beautiful and we even had a few moments when the clouds shifted enough to see the peaks across the water.
Descent was uneventful with some slipping on the steep sections. There was one section of snow bridge over the creek near the beginning of the final climb where you'll want to be cautious. Snow seemed stable but you may want to use the alternate track just to the side.
Overall, a great day on the trail and highly recommend for a relatively straight-forward snowshoe hike. Final note: there are a lot of families with kids in the parking lot since there is a snow play area just off the Nordic Center parking lot. Watch carefully since the lot is very tight.
Totals: 4.21 miles, 1,167 ft. elevation gain.
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