In late August, my kids and I are planning a backpacking trip to Serene Lake in the new Roaring River Wilderness. Last year, my wife and I hiked a loop to and from Serene Lake. There was a canoe at the lake, so we paddled to the other side and camped on the opposite shore. Heavenly.
I'm wondering if anyone has been in this area recently. Anything to look out for in terms of terrain, fire damage, etc?
There was a canoe at Serene Lake? Wow - someone must have REALLY wanted a canoe there - that is a long portage. You can get to the other side by following the trail around the north end of the lake. It goes up the hill from there to connect with the Grouse Point Trail eventually. There is a GREAT viewpoint from up there, too.
The only thing you should be aware of is that the mosquitoes at this time of year are THICK up there. Even worse at Cache Meadow. Last time I was up there in the evening the bugs were almost black in the air. A head net and deet didn't do too much to deter them. They were HUNGRY. The good news is that the fishing was pretty good, even though I'm a terrible fisherman!