I backpacked to Sauk Lake with my teen son from Saturday to Sunday and had a great time! (We didn't go to the peak)
The dirt road has some very deep ruts/potholes in places but I didn't think it was too bad - took us a half hour to drive it in a minivan. Got to the trailhead around 10:30am and the lot was pretty full - a few cars could have fit behind me on the parking loop.
Don't underestimate the difficulty of this hike! It was hot this weekend, the trail is almost all in the sun, and non-stop uphill to the ridge. A short ways in you can look up the mountain and see the dozens of switchbacks in store for you! It's fairly narrow and exposed to boot.
On the flip side, you get fantastic views for the entire hike ... Glacier Peak, Mount Baker, Skagit River Valley, gorgeous mountain valleys and lakes! It was more effort than I thought it was going to be but worth it.
Had lunch on the ridge near the fork in the trail in a grove of trees that had a flat area to camp. The trail from the fork down to the lake is definitely less traveled. A little overgrown - your legs sweep through the grass and brush in places but it's never hard to follow.
Got to the lake around 2pm. There were two other groups camping there - one in the trees up a little hill near the creek and one across the lake. Aside from the campsites in the trees, there wasn't much shade around the lake until the sun fell behind the mountain around 5:30pm. No pit toilet and not a great place near the lake for hammocks either - bummer.
Had a very enjoyable afternoon and evening. Lost my pocketknife somewhere along the trail in the brush on the north side of the creek if you're up for a treasure hunt! :) Several people tried fishing throughout our stay but I only saw one catch. Stars were stunning with no moon or clouds that night.
Hiked out the following day starting at 10am, getting back to the car around 1:30pm. Fewer cars in the lot than the previous day.
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