CHS 2 Hike - Greider Lakes

We had a great hike to Greider Lakes on May 28, 2022. While rain was in the forecast, we had a mostly overcast day with a few sunbreaks and sprinkles. The first part of the trail, the 2 miles from the parking lot to the beginning of the switchbacks, is relatively flat but has several stream crossings, including two fairly major crossings that would have been difficult without poles.

Once the switchbacks began, the trail was in okay shape but pretty wet the entire way. In some places it felt like we were walking in a stream. We recommend boots over trail runners to navigate the slippery roots and rocks. There was one major uprooted tree that required to us to do a little scrambling off the trail.

Once we got to the top of the switchbacks, we had intermittent snow, which became more constant after the first lake. Some in our group used microspikes, but for the most part the snow was passable without them. The stream flowing out of the Greider Lakes was roaring with abundant water. We saw several campsites at both lakes, but those at the larger lakes were mostly covered in snow and mud. We would definitely recommend waiting a few weeks for camping until things dry out a bit.

All in all, a beautiful hike with very few other hikers on the trail.