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Trip Report    

Day Hike - Lake Serene

Fantastic, but busy, hike to both a rock wall Falls (Bridle Veil) as well as an outstanding alpine lake with Mount Index looming over it and periodically depositing avalanches deposits with audible roars into the rock field just above the lake. Beautiful day with great group - perfect way to get ramped up for the Summer hiking season!

  • Road suitable for all vehicles
  • Dry with a few stream crossings.  Lots of rock to navigate on the last 1 1/2 miles of the trail.

Got to parking lot on Sunday morning around 745, which was good as the lot was already about 1/2 full and likely filled by 830 or so.  First stopped at Bridle Veil Falls about 2 miles and 600 feet of gain for a nice view of a high volume of water cascading down a several hundred feet high rock face.  One of our trip participants who has lots of wildflower and bird call knowledge kept us informed on the various wildflowers and birds in the area.

We descended back to the main trail and then went another 2 miles and 1800 feet  gain to Lake Serene arriving around 11:45am.  The lake was partially iced over and lots of people enjoying the sunshine and massive presence of Mount Index to the southwest looming over the lake.  After about 15 minutes we were treated to an extended display of an avalanche falling hundreds of feet off of part of Mount Index to the rockfall area just across the lake, with echos of the avalanche coming off of the rocks.  Several waterfalls were also coming off of different sections of Index providing further visual entertainment.  

Following a 1/2 hour lunch break we returned back to the parking lot, with lots of hikers still on the way up.  Returned to cars around 2:15 pm.