Serene Lake via Dry Ridge Trail

20 miles of hiking • 3750' elevation gain • 3 nights

I decided to post a trip on my Meetup group to do Serene Lake but from a different approach because I was too lazy to drive all the way to the Shellrock TH or the Frazier Turnaround TH. Besides, I had already done that trail and wanted something different. We started at 9a from the Roaring River Campground where the trailhead for the Dry Ridge Trail (#518) starts. There was conflicting information on the mileage for this trail, the stuff I found on the USFS site said it was 5.2 miles to the Grouse Point Trail (#517) but when we got to the trailhead for Dry Ridge, it said it was 6 miles...hmmmm, the plot thickens.

So we started on the 3 miles of insane up, up, up and more up until we arrived at a trail junction for FS Road 4635. Apparently you can drive to this road, and catch a short trail to connect here, thus missing out on the lovely elevation gain. Making mental note for next time. :) We continued along the Dry Ridge trail with gentle inclines upward and sometimes with some flat spots, and two creek crossings that were a piece of cake. Eventually we came to the intersection of Dry Ridge, Grouse Point and another trail to FS Road 4611. The signs said we had gone 6 miles from Roaring River. We continued on the Grouse Point Trail (#517) another 3 miles (according to the signs!) to the Serene Lake Trail (#512) which showed a 1 mile drop down to the lake. The Grouse Point Trail was nice. It had gentle slopes upward and I swear we walked through about a mile of thick rhododendrons before starting a short ascent to the top of the ridgeline and eventually coming to the Serene Lake Trail (#512).

We descended down to the lake around 2:30p and found a nice spot with a breeze and a picnic table. The bugs were not bad because of the breeze and we set up camp. We found a lot of nice firewood for a campfire later and spent the afternoon relaxing, reading books, walking around the lake and basically chilling out. Dinner was followed by a campfire and then we retired to our respective tent and hammock. I had been camping the previous two nights at McIver State Park and it was my third night sleeping without my tarp. There were clear, blue skies, a gentle breeze and lots of stars. It was very quiet, with very few sounds in the night.

The next morning, we started up around 7a and worked on breakfast and breaking down camp. We were on the trail by 9a and started the slog up the hill to the trail junction. We took a quick break and set off at a healthy pace, taking another break at the next trail junction. The first 4 miles went by rather quickly and we stopped around 11:30a for an early lunch with 3 miles of downhill to go. Our return to the trailhead happened at 1:30p and a successful backpack was completed.

I tested out my Gossamer Gear Mariposa pack and it performed flawlessly. I might be in love. I didn't weigh my pack but with water and food, I am guessing I was around 25-30lbs. I also used my Mini Tattoo alcohol stove again. I'm still not impressed with it, but I think it has more to do with the pot I am using (Snow Peak 700) than the stove itself. I also forgot my windscreen so that might have had something to do with it's performance. I am looking forward to trying out some new alcohol stove ideas this winter when I have more time. In the meantime, I will probably just bring the Micro PocketRocket the next time I go out. It's so simple and light!

My one negative from the experience was the insane amount of microtrash all around the campsite and the large amounts of toilet paper and human feces. My backpacking partner found some really awesome amounts of human feces while out walking. How hard is it to dig a damn cathole? Or pack out your garbage? I just don't get it. Once again, another favorite spot is ruined by people's lack of respect for nature. I'm not sure I will return to Serene Lake anytime soon because of this. It's such an amazing place, it really sucks to see it destroyed by lazy people. It seems to me that since this is such a high use area, it would make sense to have a composting toilet nearby. Just a thought. I know there's no money in the budget.

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