Lake Constance,  Olympic National Park,  June 21, 2001     page 1 / 9

For some time now, I thought that I would like to climb up to see Lake Constance.  The trailhead begins about one mile prior to the Dosewalips Ranger Station.  A sign at the trailhead warns hikers that the path is steep and unmaintained, gaining roughly 3400 feet in just over 2 miles.  For this reason, I've delayed this trip year after year.  This year I found myself with time to attempt this climb.

I headed up solo, with a light pack filled with lots of water and a bunch of trail food.  The hike is in second growth forest, primarily along Constance Creek which originates at the lake.  While it is steep, it is quite peaceful and has a brief flat area about halfway up the hill.

The lake sits at the bottom of Avalanche Valley.  The valley is oriented north-south with the Mt Constance massif on the east side.  The ridges on each side of the valley are quite dramatic and awesome.  Take a look for yourself at several of the photos I took while there.