Cowlitz Trail, Jug Lake — Monday, May. 18, 2026

hiked about 3 miles up Cowlitz Trail today - roughly 0.75 past the Jug Lake junction. SEVERAL things to note:

there are 4 trees down on the road leading down into Soda Springs camp. It is completely closed to vehicles because of this. I parked at the top of where it intersects with the main forest road and hiked in 0.5 miles to the trailhead.

The trees down were also pretty spicy... I'm experienced enough that I got through them well enough, but I would say it's not for beginners.

This continued to be true all the way up the trail to where I turned around. Multiple trees down, some very challenging to cross.

There was one other set of people who had hiked in, but they seemed to be locals who were familiar with the area, and not necessarily hiker types. I passed them about a mile in. They had navigated the trees ok, so it's doable, it's just a challenge. If you like an obstacle course, it's a good time!

I hiked up to just above the Jug Lake junction maybe 0.75 miles, where the trail flattens out to cross the creek. There was some decent snow up there in patches of drifts, very navigable and didn't need spikes, but poles helped. It was mostly crunchy but I did posthole a couple places. So did an adventurous elk, apparently!!! Very funny to see their tracks, maybe they were following the one other bootpath through.

Turned around because I forgot my rain jacket (n00b mistake) and the clouds were getting thicker and it was raining a bit.

Besides the obstacle course, a lovely hike!!! lots of old trees, quiet forest, very chill trail... I will definitely come back later summer and hike up, maybe do a backpack loop. Gave me lots of PCT nostalgia... which tracks as it intersects the PCT later on. :)