[Randy]

I just happened to be in the area, so I decided to give Labyrinth a whirl. The trail up to Minotaur Lake is steep and deliberate, but got me where I wanted to be very quickly. Snow patches started around 5100', but the trail is always easy to pick up. Minotaur was reached in under an hour and the lake is the real prize on this climb. Patchy snow still exists in the lake basin, but there were numerous open campsites to be had. The lake is roughly 60% thawed and going fast. Once at the lake the summit of Labyrinth is not readily obvious as there are several bumps on the ridge all within a few feet of the same elevation. When in doubt, Labyrinth the bump that lines up perfectly with the NE shoreline of the lake. I followed the well-defined path around the NE side of the lake which I figured would fade at some point, but it actually goes all the way to the summit! After reaching the far end of the lake I skirted a few cliff bands to the north and then proceeded up the snowy basin to 5900' where the last few feet to the summit are comprised of heather and rock slopes. Here, I found the trail again, and followed it right on up to the top, elevation 6376'. The summit was reached in 1.5 hours. The skies were very hazy this day, most likely from a nearby fire. I spent a little time reading through the register then descended my route. A series of standing glissades brought me quickly back to the lake and all that was left 1700' of elevation drop back to the truck. The round trip time for this hike was 3 hours. Labyrinth is a hike (not a scramble) and offers up little to no difficulty. It would make a good outing for the kids and family pet. Ideally, one would want to combine Labyrinth with another nearby summit to make for a full day. I, on the other hand, was able to beat the Sunday rush along HWY 2 and make it back to Seattle for a late lunch along the waterfront.