Lower Lena Lake 08-05-2018

Normally a solitary hiker, this weekend was one for company!  After the hiking at Sunrise Mt Rainier the day before, I went out to the Olympic Peninsula and joined my aunt, two cousins and cousin's daughter for the Lena Lake Hike.  They are a great bunch to hike with, and it was a really fun day!

The little one had a good eye for wildlife and found this interesting caterpillar before we even hit the trail.

Lower Lena Lake is within National Forest boundaries, so dogs are allowed, but Upper Lena is within Olympic National Park, so if you're hiking with four legged friends, stop at Lower Lena.  This hike is alternatively listed at 6 miles and 7 miles round trip depending on what book/site you are looking at.  My Applewatch had it at about 6.5.  The trail seems to climb nearly the whole hike, but not too steeply.

We saw a pair of either downy or hairy woodpeckers having a disagreement over whose tree this was.

There are a couple creek crossings, although both have bridges.  One was completely dry and the other one had a little water in it still.  It has been a pretty dry year!

When you get to Lower Lena you'll start out at a higher vantage point, and then if you keep going you'll be able to access the shore.  There were quite a few people and dogs relaxing and swimming and we all went for a nice icy dip as well.

Cedar was happy to make friends with this big bullmastiff, Chance

Luna was happy to get back to the car afterward.  I didn't realize it at the time, but she was feeling a bit under the weather.  Cedar hadn't got any sleep the night before, so he was pretty tired too!

On the way to the trail, we saw what looked like the beginnings of a forest fire.  On our way out it had grown and that night heard it was around 20 acres.  As I write this four days later it has grown to over 800 acres, and I read that it was human-caused.  They are calling it the Maple Fire.  It's incredibly sad to think of all those mossy trees and all the wildlife, as well as the dangerous job that the firefighters have to battle the blaze.  I hope it is under control soon.