CHS 2 Hike - Greider Lakes

Please note this hike was previously scheduled to go to Trap Lake.  There is currently too much snow up at Trap Lake/Stevens Pass and for this reason, the Greider Lakes hike has been substituted in.  

We will meet in the parking lot at the Greider Lakes/Boulder Lakes trailhead @ 8:00 and start hiking at 8:15. 

You will need a Discover Pass to park in the lot.

Directions to the Greider Lakes/Boulder Lakes Trailhead

From Everett, take Highway 2 east to Sultan. Turn left at the traffic light east of town past milepost 23 onto Sultan Basin Road. Follow this road for just over 13 miles.

At 13 miles (pavement ends at 10.2 miles) is a turnout to your right, with a kiosk. Stop here to sign in and get your free permit for parking. The paper you sign asks you to acknowledge that you understand the rules and regulations for visiting Sultan Basin, which is Everett's public water supply. Please read it carefully before signing and continuing on.

Straight ahead, the road forks. Take a right onto Forest Road 61, following signs to Greider Lakes. In 7.1 miles, you will reach the trailhead. Privy available.

WTA review from 6/5/21 says “Gravel road to trailhead is mostly free of potholes and suitable for all vehicles.  and The road in and out was impressively graded with only a few potholes to avoid, our sedan had no problem navigating to the parking lot.”

6/13/21 Hike

We will follow the Greider Lakes trail past Little Greider Lake to Big Greider Lake where we will eat our lunch.

The trail is steep in spots with some rocky sections. (Before reaching the lakes, we will conquer 40 switchbacks, gaining over 1,000 feet in 1.5 miles.) The trail is rough, too — be sure to have good boots and bring hiking poles (if you have them) to help with the ascent/descent. 

It’s shaded all the way, offering protection from spring rains or summer sun. Most of the forest is mature even-aged second growth. You’ll make more than a dozen creek crossing including two which may soak your boots.

The Boulder Lake trail we will be on for a short time is overgrown and if it is a wet morning (or rain during the night before), consider wearing rain pants or gaiters to avoid soaking your pants as we travel through the wet vegetation.

The payoff – Big Greider Lake is a beautiful mountain lake to enjoy your lunch at! I hope you will find it just as beautiful as Trap Lake – without the snow.

***Prior to reaching the Greider Lakes, we’ll add a little mileage (to get the June minimum - 10 mi hike) by taking the Boulder Lake trail out towards Boulder Lake.  We will go no further than the closed (failing) bridge over Boulder Creek. We will turn around before the bridge and get back on the Greider Lakes trail continuing onward (and upward) toward our lakeside lunch spot.  

Weather info, Sultan

https://forecast.weather.gov/MapClick.php?lat=47.86229000000003&lon=-121.81719999999996

Additional information

The lakes were named by Claude E. Greider, a member of the Forest Service that evidently found the lakes reminiscent of himself. Sometime after their christening, the area around the lakes suffered a forest fire, evidence of which still lingers along the Greider Lake trail. The lakes feed Greider Creek, which, in turn, flows into the massive Spada Lake Reservoir – the water source for nearby cities like Everett.

In springtime the lake basin is awash in wildflower colors. In autumn, ground hugging berry bushes set the landscape afire in red. And aside from the flora, the area is a good place for observing wildlife, too. Black bears sightings are fairly common. So, expect company in those vibrant berry patches.

COVID-19

The most updated Covid information can be found here:

https://www.mountaineers.org/membership/the-mountaineers-covid-19-response