Hike #55: So, We Meet Again for the First Time

My success at reaching Snoqualmie Lake last week has encouraged me to try for some of the other alpine lakes that are slowly, but surely, thawing out. While Rainy Lake is about 650' higher than Snoqualmie Lake, I figure that maybe the third time's the charm. On my first attempt last December, I made it to about 3400' before turning around due to deep snow and lack of time. On my second attempt at the end of March, the snow was far deeper and I didn't even reach 2200' before calling it a day. However, recent trip reports indicate the snow is gone through the tricky rockslide parts near 2200', and based on my other recent hikes, I suspect the snow closer to the lake should be pretty easy to traverse.

I start out at Middle Fork Trailhead, which is becoming a regular haunt! I'm not really expecting to see anyone on this trip, as the Rainy Lake Trail is almost always deserted, and it's a weekday to boot. The forest is waking up from its long winter slumber, and lush green growth is everywhere, along with the sounds of water filling the creeks and rivers. It's a nice partly sunny day, but the clouds are low enough that they're hiding the tops of all the nearby peaks. It takes me an hour to reach the 2200' level where I was turned around in March, and as expected, there is no sign of snow.

I climb upward through the lovely forest on this trail, stopping occasionally to cut a downed tree out of the corridor. My new trail saw has been getting a workout lately, and I really enjoy being able to leave the trail in better condition for other hikers, or just for myself on the way back down. The Rainy Lake trail is in surprisingly good shape for a fisherman's path, and is not brushy at all. Rainy Creek is a noisy companion the middle section of the trail, until the trail veers away at about 2600'.

Once I reach 2900', the snow begins, intermittent at first, then blanketing everything in 1-2' of packed white. I make my way to the stream crossing where I ate lunch on my December hike, just below my farthest progress on this trail. I throw on my spikes to get some better traction for the remainder of the ascent, since I am pretty sure there will be some steep bits on the way to the lake. Of course, I really can't tell what condition the "trail" is in at this point, since everything is under 2-3' of snow. The tell-tale trail signs of cut blowdowns or branches are pretty much gone at this point.

I check my GPS every few minutes to make sure I'm on the right course, but for the most part I am following a set of footprints that appear to be a few days old. I know from trip reports that at least two or three other parties have passed Rainy Lake in the last week or two, primarily for climbing Preacher Mountain. Sometimes the tracks are hard to spot, but from my inspection of the maps in this area over time, I am pretty confident I know where the lake will be. There haven't been many views so far on this hike, but upon reaching a knoll, I get a pretty good view of The Pulpit, which is a smaller summit northwest of Rainy Lake, connected to Preacher Mountain by a ridgeline.

As predicted, the snow gets steep at times, but most concerning are areas with large rocks, logs, or underlying creeks that could lead to falling through the snow. These "snow bridges" can be hazardous, so I'm careful to watch out for them and stay on solid snowpack. There aren't any large creeks running under the snow in this area, so the hazards are fairly low. Still, falling through a couple feet of snow onto a rock or log could result in a twisted ankle or other unpleasantness, so I test the snow with my poles as I proceed forward. In a remote area like this, I also carry and turn on my satellite messenger device (Garmin inReach), in case I need to call for help or let someone know my location.

I ascend one last steep pitch, and coming down I can see the lake through the trees! It's not exactly a surprise, since I've been looking at it on my GPS all along, but it's great to know I've almost reached my goal. I make my way down a gully on the other side, and reach the outlet stream, which is the beginning of Rainy Creek. There appears to be about 6-8' of snow on top of the ground next to the outlet stream, giving the impression that the stream is in a deep canyon, though I am pretty sure it isn't. I make my way across some packed snow drifts toward the lake, and I'm pleased to see that the south-facing shore of the lake has a small thawed section next to a logjam. This will be a good spot for having lunch and taking a few pictures.

Rainy Lake is a small but pretty lake, set in a bowl high on the flanks of Preacher Mountain. The summit of Preacher isn't actually visible from the lake, but there are some imposing cliffs and towers on the south side that make for nice scenery. The lake is still mostly covered by a thin layer of ice and snow, but is melted out near the outlet. There's a large jagged boulder in the water on the east side of the lake, which allows one to very quickly recognize Rainy Lake in photos. I wander around on the log jam in the water, looking for a good place to sit and eat, and to get some good photos. I settle on a large log and enjoy my lunch immensely - food always tastes delicious on the trail! Of course, I run my hand through the water as well to officially record my visit to the lake - it's quite cold!

I start packing up my gear to leave when I am surprised to hear voices on the hill above the lake. Sure enough, two other hikers have braved the snow to get here. We briefly trade tips on the route taken through the snow, then I leave them to enjoy the lake in solitude. I suspect the trip down will go much faster than the trip up, especially in the snowy top section. This turns out to be the case, as descending the snow is mostly an exercise in plunge-stepping, where you sink your heel into the snow and put all your weight on it to create a nice solid step for each foot. I mostly follow the boot prints down, but it's pretty easy to recall the general terrain and where I need to go. There are a couple of sections where one might glissade - slide down the snow on your butt, usually - but that can be a bit unsafe if you're not sure of the snow depth or where the holes might be. I play it safe and stay on my feet.

On the way down, I walk out to a clearing and get a quick view to the east, where Nine Hour Lake sits just on the other side of a small ridge. It seems fairly close, at about a mile as the crow flies, but I know getting there from Rainy Lake will be a tough adventure through brush and steep slopes. But it's good to see the landscape in person, and I'm looking forward to coming back here and perhaps spending the night at Rainy Lake to accomplish it. Perhaps I'll throw in a summit of Preacher Mountain, and a visit to Upper Rainy Lake while I'm at it. I make it back to the creek crossing fairly quickly, then continue on until the snow runs out, where I remove my spikes.

I trudge ever downward along the rooty Rainy Creek Trail, which at this point is starting to feel awfully familiar to me. The trip down always seems to take longer than the trip up, even though it actually doesn't. I reach the Pratt River Trail in about three hours from the lake, with 30 minutes of that being spent cutting out more of a rather messy blowdown. Apart from the two hikers I met at the lake, I have seen no one else - par for the course in this neck of the woods! As I reach the car, I wonder what my next alpine lake will be. Based on the amount of snow at Rainy Lake, I know the majority of trails are still quite snowed in, but there are enough lakes below 4000' that I should have a few to keep me busy.

Stats

Time: 7.25 hours

Distance: 8.0 miles

Elevation Gain: 2900'

Alpine Lakes Mission

Lakes visited: Rainy

Total lakes: 23

Percent complete: 7.7%

Photos and Videos

View the album on Google Photos.

Alpine Washington