Hike to Minotaur Lake

As the cold weather began to set in, my friends and I packed up our winter gear and headed to Minotaur Lake. A short and STEEP hike, it was the perfect half day adventure. Located in the central cascades, this hike is 3.5 miles round trip with a butt kicking elevation gain of 1905 feet. The elevation gain begins immediately and does not let up until you reach the border and enter in to the wilderness boundary. From here, the trail flattens out and you enter a small meadow. Shortly after, you come around a corner and are rewarded with a view of the clear blue alpine lake. Follow along the left and up a small hill to find a nice hammocking and picnic spot. The trail to the lake was snow free, but once we reached the lake we found two-three feet of snow. We spent the day playing around in the snow and venturing off trail to climb up small overlooks.