Heads up about the trail to Lake Serene near Leavenworth

I hiked it last weekend and saw at least five groups making the same mistake. They followed the main trail sign for the lake but missed the smaller turnoff for the winter route about a mile in. The main path right now has a huge washout and is super dangerous. I only knew because a ranger told me at the trailhead. Has anyone else run into bad trail conditions they wish were marked better?

3 comments

3 Comments

johnson.daniel4d ago

Ugh, that's a nasty one. I had a close call on the Mount Margaret backcountry loop last fall. A whole section of the ridge trail was just gone, slid right down the mountain. The forest service map online still showed it as open. It's like they forget to update the signs once they print them. Someone's gonna get really hurt over there.

simonp473d ago

Man, that is SO frustrating and frankly scary. It feels like a total gamble every time you head out now, even on trails you know. You put your trust in those official signs and maps, and they just leave you hanging. It makes you wonder what the point of having a forest service is if they can't even warn people about a washed out trail.

hugoc973d ago

Yeah, the thing about maps not being updated is so real. My buddy Alex went out to that old logging road near Darrington last spring, the one that's supposed to connect to the Boulder River trail. His map said it was clear, but a giant landslide had taken out like a quarter mile of it years ago. He had to turn his whole truck around on this sketchy narrow spot, said it was pure luck he didn't go over the edge. It's crazy how they just leave that info out there.