Jefferson Park On Memorial Day Weekend Is Still Jefferson Park

I played the sympathy card and got Dr B. up at 4 a.m. to hit Jefferson Park with me. The drive from Portland was quick, but the gravel road was quite bumpy and the fist four miles of hiking on the Whitewater Trail were not so spectacular as last week's Three Fingered Jack hike. But, the towering craggy summit of the mountain and the colorful lakes of Jefferson Park were worth the dull (but admittedly gentle) climb. Bays Lake was the most inviting and recalled for us the Gem Lakes on the JMT, especially Ruby. The guidebooks say the hike to Russell Lake is just 11 miles RT, but I can't see anyone sticking to that. You can barely see any of the lakes without venturing off onto the little user trails branching off from the PCT. Our mileage was close to 14 when we finished, and we didn't even explore Russell Lake fully. All in all, it was great, if a bit overhyped. The crowds, if you can call them that, hardly detracted from the experience. At any rate, it cleared my frazzled mind and will make the week ahead more bearable.