Mudhole Lake — Saturday, Sep. 6, 2025

Early start for our trio on a day that would be hot, with plenty of hazy smoke in the Methow valley. Heed the trail description of elevation per mile. It is STEEP. More importantly, the trail description has not been updated since the 2021 Cedar Creek fire. We did not see any source of water, so be sure to carry enough. Bugs were pesky when we stopped for lunch,  otherwise not an issue. Our objective was Mud Hole Lake. There are a few dozen logs across the trail. Some are very large, burnt, and bigger than a horses back. The trail itself is obvious to follow for about the first 3 miles. You then reach heavy fire damage, where it's easy to walk off or lose the trail, intermittently for about a mile. We missed the cut-off for Mud Hole Lake. The trail does continue to Varden Lake, according to our maps and apps, but we opted to turn around due to heat, lack of clear views/smoke, and time. The views of the Cedar Creek drainage  and Gardner Mt. would be fantastic on a clear day. On our return, we did find where the cut-off was supposed to be, but there was no obvious trail amid the downed timber, fire damage, and brush. Planning to try again on a cooler and clear day.