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As hiking season wanes, short jaunt to Melakwa Lake draws a crowd
By KAREN SYKES ![[Bio]](../image/bio_bttn.gif){kind=small}
SPECIAL TO THE POST-INTELLIGENCER
I feel sad when I find gentians, a late-blooming summer flower that marks the end of summer and the beginning of fall. Blue gentians occur about the time of my birthday, as if to emphasize the changing seasons and the passing of time.
Gentians bloom in meadows and thrive on moisture, though they close when it rains, perhaps to prevent the cup-shaped flower from filling with water. Herbalists write that gentians make an excellent stomach tonic and they are also used as a tonic for the elderly or ill.
When I see gentians, can Gore-Tex be far behind? The golden meadows, the seed pods, the ragged hellebore, blue mist in valleys and a sweet chill in the evening air tell us another summer is passing and good hiking days are numbered.
As the days grow shorter and we wake to the darkness, you may choose a hike closer to home, such as Melakwa Lake near Snoqualmie Pass.
Though a part of me wanted to curl up with the Sunday paper and the cats, the call of the mountains was stronger. The day promised to be summerlike and there were only a few other cars at the trailhead.
The Melakwa Lake trail is wide and easy and the forest stays cool until crossing Denny Creek within a mile. In late summer Denny Creek is easy to cross on slabs, sometimes referred to as the Denny bathing rocks. The trail then climbs through vegetation going to seed and clumps of subalpine trees before reaching Keekwulee Falls, which called for a pause.
The waterfall was thin but still dramatic as it spilled over golden rocks into the dark gorge below. I met only a couple of people on the trail, but in a couple of hours the trail would be a highway.
The trail continues climbing around cliffs into a flat basin where the roar of Interstate 90 is lost and you'll begin to feel you've escaped from civilization. By the time you reach Melakwa Lake you'll be ready to find a place to sit along the shore beneath the cliffs of Chair, Bryant and Kaleetan peaks.
If the lake is too crowded, hike on to the smaller of the two lakes, and/or follow a faint path toward the base of Kaleetan Peak, considered a scramble by experienced mountaineers. A lone climber met me on the path and pointed out the route to the summit. I was tempted, but I stopped at the edge of the snowfield and called it a day. Climbing alone is not recommended.
By the time I returned to the lake it was crowded with even more people coming in, often in pairs as if the lake was Noah's Ark. This is the wrong place for solitude unless you come on a foul day or early in the morning. Expect picnickers and families, dogs on leashes, young couples, grumpy climbers, and people of all ages, sizes and shapes.
Hikers who don't make it to the lake dot the trail, sitting on rocks or the roots of trees, trying to look as if they don't care that they can't make it to the lake . . . and they probably don't.
There are so many places along the trail worthy of "destination." Some only go as far as the bathing rocks at Denny Creek, a treat for small children. Late in the day the rocks are often cluttered with people but it is a happy clutter.
Though this trail is sometimes crowded, there is still enough room for dreamers like me, caught between seasons, between youth andage, looking for gentians, making the summer last as long as possible.
Getting there
Drive I-90, taking Exit 47 on to Denny Creek road until you pass the Denny Creek Campground at three miles. Just beyond the campground turn left, cross a bridge and drive a short distance to the trailhead parking.
Trail detail
The trail climbs easily through forest and borders on the surreal as it passes under I-90 and a river of cars. At one mile, Denny Creek is crossed and families may want to stop here for the bathing rituals and play of a hot day. From the creek the trail climbs through areas of vegetation and forest to Keekwulee Falls at 1-1/2 miles. Snowshoe Falls is reached in another half mile.
At 3,500 feet the trail stays level and crosses the creek in the upper basin before switchbacking to Hemlock Pass at 4,600 feet, 3-1/2 miles. The trail descends through forest to the lake at 4-1/2 miles, 4,500 feet.
A path goes around the left-hand side of the lake to the smaller lake and good places for lunch. Experienced mountaineers can climb Kaleetan Peak from the lake by following a faint path toward the base of the peak. Some camps are closed for revegetation; call the North Bend Ranger Station for details.
For parties with two cars, a three-mile trail goes from Melakwa Lake to Pratt Lake, but this makes a very long day and is recommended only for strong hikers.
Trail data
Melakwa Lake is nine miles round trip with an elevation gain of 2,300 feet. For more information refer to "100 Hikes in Washington's Alpine Lakes" by Vicky Spring, Ira Spring and Harvey Manning. (The Mountaineers, 240 pages, $14.95).
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