As befits a post with “At Last!” in the title, I’m actually writing about a hike I did last November. Yay

Back when I was discussing where to go backpacking with mom, the trail to Annette Lake was a real contender. The problem was, the trail closed for renovations/reconstruction a few days before we planned to go backpacking. And, it didn’t re-open until late November…

When I returned to Washington State from my journey to Suriname, I was surprised to find that the skies were clear. There was an unusual, week long stretch of no rain. It was so uncharacteristic of the wet, foggy Washington winter I was expecting. Naturally, I wanted to go for a hike. Seeing as the trail to Annette Lake had recently reopened it seemed like a fun choice.

Trail Information
Name	Annette Lake Trail
Type	out and back
Location	Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest
State	Washington
Miles	4.15
Total_miles	8.29
Check out the trails index for information on more trails!

Very early in the trail is a gorgeous waterfall and a serene brook. We did not linger here long, but I enjoyed it.

It did not take long for the hazards of late November hiking to become apparent. The trail was covered with snow, which was occasionally a tad slippery due to the ice underneath it. Fortunately, enough hikers had already headed up the trail that the path was quite compacted and easy to follow. There was no post-holing to be done.

The newly renovated trail features a lot of staircases, which did help with the climb, and probably made this easier to traverse. I only used my microspikes on the way down.

The staircases are there because of the elevation gain: 2,374 ft.

As the ascent continues, snowy mountaintops become visible through the trees.

At last, at the lake, you’re rewarded for your hard work, and for the distance and climb it takes to get here. We hung out for a bit and I snapped some photos and enjoyed some snacks.

Then, the return.