Independence Lake is a short, kid friendly hike to a small lake with a few trout, a worthwhile destination in its own right, but too short for much of a workout, so we headed up the trail towards North Lake. I would classify this hike as moderate, but it does head up agressively for two steep miles to a ridge where you either admire the view then head back down, or drop down 700' to the lake, which means 700' elevation gain on the way back (plus another 200' coming up from Independence Lake).
It's best to start early on a hot day. The route has plenty of exposure to sun, and the people we saw coming up in the afternoon looked uncomfortably hot in the 80 degree weather.
There is flagging tape to seperate the trail from some social paths to campsites at the end of Independence Lake, as well as to mark the trail up a boulder field to North Lake. The trail branches off here, left up the boulders to the ridge or right on a level path to an unnamed tarn with beautiful views towards a peak known as the Devils Thumb and a lovely campsite with a "big sky" view. The tarn is definately worth the short side trip, and makes a great destination for those disinclined to greater exertion. The blueberries were large and tasty.
