Many shades of blue on the frozen lake

2/20/2025 Lake Serene

I was the first person at the Lake Serene trailhead at 8am on a Thursday. I had the entire trail to myself, until I was about halfway down the trail. Although there was snow the entire way, temperatures were very comfortable, once I got moving. The few people I saw seemed to be headed to the falls, not needing much winter gear.

The snow levels were only a few inches, until I reached the clearing about 1/2 mile from the lake. This is one of my favorite parts of the hike, where the relentless stairs and switchbacks finally give way to a more gentle slope and the big views on Mount Index and the Skykomish River Valley.

The snow was its greatest at the lake, and short ascent past the bridge leading to Lunch Rock was the toughest stretch of the hike. Despite the post-holing along the steep climb, the extra effort to get to the viewpoint was totally worth it. It appeared as though I was the only person having reached that point in a while, as the footprints disappeared when the snow became its deepest. The iced-over lake was gorgeous with its many shades of blue, and I never get tired of the views of Mount Index towering over the lake.