Basic Backpack - Lake George & Gobblers Knob

After waiting for approximately half an hour in line at Nisqually entrance, we made it to Longmire shortly after 8am and back to the trailhead around 8:40. The road had just been resurfaced, and we were instructed to drive around the cones as it was supposed to be set by the evening before. There were more than a dozen cars parked at the closure, but we were able to park safely on the shoulder. When we returned it appeared that several cars had been directed to park beyond the barrier at the former lot / true road closure.

 "Ranger Said Park Here" and "Same TBH". THe old parking Area beyond the first barrier is in the geohazard zone. so check with a ranger before planning to park there or driving around the barrier.

With a heat wave upon us, we took our hike very slowly. The road portion thankfully dips in and out of the trees so we didn't have much prolonged sun exposure. The road allows for side-by-side walking to get to know each other, and we were passed by a handful of cyclists heading to Gobbler's Knob and beyond. The trail up to Lake George was in good shape and almost entirely shaded.

Art by Mckenzie Campbell Davies. Photo by Ke Ji. 

After setting up camp and having lunch, we continued up to Gobbler's Knob fire lookout and spent good amount of time soaking in the views at the top. There were a few flies swarming near the lookout, but we were otherwise unbothered by bugs. In fact, I don't believe a single live mosquito was spotted on our whole trip. Upon return to camp, part of the group went for a swim while others lounged on the lakeshore. 

Lake George Group Site with 1 bivy, 5 1p tents, and 2 2P tents. Photo By Ke Ji.

We had the group campsite reserved, which comes with its own bear pole, and shares a privy with the other sites. With just a little bit of ground-tarp Tetris, we fit 7 tents and 1 bivy in the campsite and chose to eat and congregate closer the lake. Water was abundant from Lake George, but retrieving it from the lake was tricky. With a thick layer of organic muck on the lake floor and a film of detritus on the top it was moderately difficult to avoid particulates. Those who swam were able to fill water bags in the deeper parts of the lakes. Using a bandana to prefilter would be another good option. We didn't find any running water, but we didn't look very hard. It is recommended to fill at Lake George for Gobblers Knob because the other water source on the map is much murkier.