If your legs are a little sturdier than your car, don’t be scared away by the road. The rough part is only at the very end; otherwise the potholes are small and avoidable. The lakes are less striking than nearby Lake 22, without the cliffs, but the big old trees are so much more enjoyable without the crowds. The songbirds were having a grand old time, singing along to several woodpeckers mimicking each other’s drum solos from tree to tree.
Route: I parked my ancient Civic just off the highway at 6:20 AM and walked up to the trailhead, Beaver Plant Lake, Upper Ashland Lake, and Lower Ashland Lake. I thought about the Bald Mountain Ridge Trail, but the sign said it was “rarely traveled and difficult to follow over many portions. Only skilled back country navigators should attempt this hike.” I had to be honest with myself – that’s not me.
Road: if your car is not pothole-friendly but can handle uphill gravel, you can park in one of the many turnouts, as close as half a mile from the trailhead. If your car can handle medium-sized potholes, you can leave it at the intersection with Pinnacle Lake (room for 10-15 cars, about 500 feet from the trailhead). After that, it’s very steep and rough, with obvious water damage.
Parking lot: two cars at the trailhead, 7:50 AM and 11 AM. At the Pinnacle Lake intersection, 0 in the morning, 8 at 11 AM.
Bathroom: padlocked and “closed until further notice” at the trailhead. At Upper Ashland Lake, it seems a toilet has been uninstalled. There was one of those coffin-sized cooler-like sealed brown containers, with flies buzzing. A few feet down from that, at the lake shore, there was green sludge that I didn’t see anywhere else. I don’t know if those are related, but thought I’d mention it in case there’s a leak that needs attention!
Trail condition: almost scary-dry compared to recent reports, including lots of dry little streambeds. Thanks to the boardwalks, I didn’t step in mud until right before Upper Ashland Lake, and even then, it was a small patch. None of the boards were underwater, and there was no snow. Only one unaddressed blowdown – right before Lower Ashland Lake, about 1 foot thick, the top maybe 3 feet off the ground with debris underneath.
Views: no long-distance views, but lovely old trees and lots of tiny flowers. The boardwalks around the lakes were fun. I especially enjoyed my snack break on the bench at Beaver Plant Lake.
People: I didn’t see a single person until nearly 10 AM, all the way at Lower Ashland Lake. On the way back, I ran into people six times.
I look forward to coming back to check out the other branches of this road – Boardman Lake and Pinnacle Lake. I hope to do it early, though; Ashland Lakes are marshy enough that I bet the mosquitos will be fierce in a couple months!
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