Directions: From Seattle take Interstate 90 east to Exit 54 Hyak. Turn right then turn left on a road parallel to I-90 East. When you reach the DOT parking lot. Go right on first road going. Follow to the Hyak parking lot. Be careful to check whether you are in Forest Service or State Park Land. You will need different permits!
Trail notes: One this day Bill came along so we naturally had to explore some train grade! Thus we decided to explore the Iron Horse Tunnel at Snoqualmie Pass which is about 2.4 miles in length. We dropped a second car at the Annette Lake parking lot so we would not need to walk through the tunnel twice.
The tunnel itself is surprisingly cool. It fact I would go so far as to say downright chilly. You don't absolutely have to have a flashlight to walk through the tunnel since you can pretty much see the end of the tunnel from the other side. However, it is really quite a ways off, you are looking at a 45 minutes of walking. Near the ends of the tunnel water drips from the roof of the tunnel with some frequency, as you move in the amounts of water coming from the ceiling is greatly reduced. For the most part the walk through the tunnel is pretty uneventful save for the occasional recess in the wall which formerly held some type of electronics. Where the flashlight will come in handy is keep from getting run over by bicyclists. This part of the trail is probably best done on a bike, of if you are trying to flea the hot temperatures in the lowlands!
Once we reached the end of the tunnel we continued down the Iron Horse trail until it crossed the Annette Lake Trail. From here we took the turn off and headed up towards Annette Lake. The trail to Annette Lake isn't too difficult but isn't all together easy either. The trail as most reviews point out is heavily traveled which it is, particularly on a warm weekend day in the early part of the season. Keeping this in mind you won't be so disappointed with the crowds.
The trail itself doesn't waste much time with anything too level and starts the gradual, but incrementally increasing ascent towards Annette Lake. The environs are mostly older growth Cedar, some Hemlock, and Fir. After about an hour of gradual and not so gradual switchbacks you will get your first decent view looking west towards Humpback Mountain. The view isn't that grand but still a nice change from being in the trees.
Then the trail levels out and you have gained as much elevation as you will need to and the quick traverse to Lake Annette is underway. About 10 minutes later you are at the lake, and can enjoy the nice view looking up at Silver Peak and the cool water. There are several camping spots around the lake, though I could certainly see situations where one would wind up sharing camp with others.
Overall I think this is a pretty nice hike for its proximity to Seattle and the beauty of the Lake.
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