Lake 22, Beautiful Old Growth Hike

I took the ferry to Kirkland and spent the night at my deceased mother's condo.  At 6:30 I got up and drove my mother's car to the trail head.  I figure her car needs to be driven once a week and her condo needs to be occupied a few nights each week.  I am combining these chores with hiking.  It gets a little bit easier to be there each time.

My route to the Mountain Loop took me right through downtown Woodinville.  The only things I recognized here the 7-11 and the grocery store.  It think that even the high school where I went to 6th grade has been torn down or something.

I sure don't miss being in the Seattle / Tacoma area rat race with hour long commutes to go just a few miles. My drive was opposite the bad traffic.  

I hit the trail at 7:45 and made good time getting up to the lake on such an easy hike.  I circled the lake twice to help me get an extra mile in.  The hike was beautiful with old growth starting right at the trail head.  What a magical place!

I saw 14 other hikers, but almost all on the way up as I was going down.  I had the lake all to myself for about 45 minutes then other hikers started to show up.

Nobody flipped me off  on the drive back this time.  When  a man from North Dakota pulled up to  me at a stop light in Totem Lake,  I was hesitant.  Was he going to tell me off for running an orange light?  He just wanted to know how to get to I-90, presumably to get back to North Dakota. 

6.8 miles with 1,500 feet elevation gain.  I did two laps around the lake.