Lake Annette

Only three cars dotted the Annette Lake lot at 8:00 a.m.  The thermometer hovered just above freezing, marking the coolest night of the season.  Annette Lake is the last trail on the south side of I-90 west of Snoqualmie Pass and one of the few lakes on the south side of I-90. Until about 4 years ago, a bridge crossed Humpback Creek adjacent to the parking lot but a large storm washed it out.  Now, the trail starts with a short stretch on the west side of Humpback Creek before crossing over the water on a sturdy new bridge, with lots of clearance.

The trail winds up another 1/2 mile or so, crossing under two sets of powerlines before hitting the John Wayne Trail, a former railroad grade converted for use by bikers and hikers.  The Annette Lake trail continues up though an mixed conifer forest with almost no undergrowth giving the area an open airy feel.  Hugging the south side of the creek valley the trail was shaded all the way to the lake. In one spot, dead ferns were dusted with frost, indicating that winter is just around the corner.  The lake was abandoned when I arrived just after 9:30 and the trail crossing Humpback Creek at the outlet of the lake beckoned.

I hadn't tried to go this direction for years and it seemed that in prior years, the trail stopped at the creek.

Now, there are a pair of logs making a nice bridge, which provides access to 4 or 5 nice camping spots.


The trail ends at the last spot near the south end of the lake, which signaled time for me to return to the car.

I must have passed 40 people as I headed down, which made me glad to have gotten such an early start.

Trail details can be found here: