Barclay Lake — Tuesday, Jul. 10, 2012

Central Cascades > Stevens Pass - West

We wanted to do something easy, especially since one of my dogs had double knee surgery last fall and the other just had knee surgery on one leg three months ago - I wanted something easy as their first hike post-surgery - and so we chose Barclay Lake. The hike to Barclay Lake is very pleasant and easy to do. The hike starts out in the woods and weaves along the river for a bit, then crosses it via man-made bridge and slowly leads away from it. The weather was in the high 70s and wasn't too hot, which was perfect. We go to the lake pretty quickly and saw several people hanging out and one or two actually camping. The dogs enjoyed splashing in the water for a few minutes before we decided to head up to Eagle Lake... yeah... that part got steep in a matter of seconds... it was really brutal on the dogs and I am ever so grateful for the doggie suitcase handle on my little Sparrow (a Mini Aussie) because I was able to lift her over logs and rocks. Bheria (a White German Shepherd) was doing okay up until we got to the really rocky sections. That was a very hot area and very difficult to cross with dogs who were not at their peak conditions. After about the third section of rocks, near the very top of the ginormous hill, we decided to turn around while two other friends went ahead to Eagle Lake. Those friends later reported it was still a difficult climb and that the lake wasn't that showy - which is why I was okay with turning around and heading down. One thing to really take note of is the trail markers - both ribbons and cairns/rock towers - it is really easy to miss them going both up and down, especially down over the rocks... so if you can, bring some more ribbons or pay super close attention to where you came up as there's a section that is easy to pass without seeing the way down. When we came back the dogs played in the water a bit and I actually took two dips - brr - but it felt great after that crazy attempt to climb up to Eagle Lake. Overall, Barclay Lake is great for beginner hikers or those who need an easy hike. The lake is really pretty and we could see some snow up at the mountain tops. The dogs loved it - up until the point where it was a steep climb and they began to have a difficult time.