Directions:
Trail Notes: The Laughingwater Creek trail can best be described as an easy, though somewhat long trail through virgin forest containing its fair share of moss. Laughingwater Creek starts off as it ends a quite gentle trail. The Mountaineers guide book would have you believe this hike is strenuous and it well could be if it didn't hold the elevation it gained as well as it does. Many times trails undulate within contour intervals on topo maps so what you think is flat is continually going up an down and can be tiring. That is not the case with this hike.
The name Laughingwater Creek would have you believe you are walking along side a creek, which only loosely is the case. For the first hour or so you can hear the creek intermittently but you cannot see it. As I said earlier on this trail is not very demanding other than in terms of distance where it isn't that bad either. During the first hour you get your fair share of old growth and moss etc. It is very pleasant and if there is one thing this hike gives you it is solitude. We did not see another sole the entire day. At about an hour the trail encounters a steep area where you take a couple switchbacks up a reinforced slope. This offers the best view to be had on the hike and I have to admit is pretty nice. After the ridge is gained the terrain for the next 20-30 minutes falls into the undulating category but does not contain many ups and downs. The surrounds at this point are quite cool as the moss seems to be everywhere and gives an iridescent glow to the environment.
Beyond this point things continue much as they had before the quick climb for another hour or so. Nothing too eventful save the old growth trees. Eventually, the trees begin to give way to meadows. When this happens you will know you are close to making the lip separating you from the lake. From the meadows there remains about another 15-20 minutes to the cabin. This is mostly down hill though hardly worth mentioning as the grade is so trivial. And then the lakes emerge near a Ranger Cabin which was locked but still smelled of smoke. I think someone was recently there.
The lake itself as a destination isn't much to speak of though the solitude is quite a nice bonus. A couple things to be aware of if you choose this hike; The first is that it is open to stock, which can sometimes mean crap on the trail, and second as Carl noticed is that during the early melt this place has just the feel to it that it would be unbearable with mosquitoes. Just keep it in mind, we didn't encounter any of these deterrents and you might not either. All the same, keep it in mind. This trail too might make an excellent introduction to hiking for someone who hasn't hiked before as it is very easy.
When we got back to the trailhead we decided to hike down to Silver Falls which is only a short 5 minute trip down to the river. It is definitely worth the walk with a waterfall of about 100ft which would be spectacular during the early season snow melt. If you do this hike make sure to do the falls too!
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