PSA: The 'shortcut' around the north side of Lake Serene in Washington added 4 hours to our day because the trail was basically a washed-out creek bed.

We followed some faded flagging tape off the main loop, thinking it was a local's tip, and ended up bushwhacking through a mile of slick alder and mud before having to backtrack completely soaked and exhausted.

3 comments

3 Comments

simon_chen2mo ago

Oof, that sounds like the trail's idea of a prank. Nothing like a surprise creek bed hike to really build character.

the_lee2mo ago

Ever try crossing with trekking poles for balance? They turn sketchy rocks into a solid three point stance. Saved my ankles more times than I can count.

joseph_west597d ago

...and what really gets me is how those "shortcuts" always look so obvious on the map but turn into total nightmares on the ground. @the_lee is right about trekking poles though, I use them all the time up here in the Cascades. Last summer I tried to take a "climber's trail" near Mount Si that a guy at the trailhead swore by. Ended up sliding down a gravel slope on my backside for a good fifty feet before I hit a log jam. By the time I got back to the main trail my hands were scraped up and my water bottle was gone. Sometimes the long way is the smart way.