Maple Pass, Lake Ann

If it is possible to have the perfect hike, this was it. The temperature was in the low to mid seventies, with a light breeze, and not a single cloud in the sky...not even any haze. A cool, rainy spell the week before seemed to have sent the bugs packing. I probably saw a dozen mosquitoes all day.

This is a great outing for a party of mixed abilities: my husband took our 7YO and went to Lake Ann, and I took our 13YO and hiked up to the pass. We saw maybe 20 other parties.

The Lake Ann trail is looking great. At the lake, there's lots of driftwood to play on, and the stream is wonderful for splashing. You'll also find plenty of shade for lunchtime.

The loop trail is in beautiful shape; no blowdowns and very little overgrowth. As always, be cautious white hiking along the ridge on the west side of the lake. There are a few patches of trees on top where you can enjoy a lunch break. Even if you're heading back down from here (like we did, in the interest of time), make sure to plan for the hour or so to hike along the ridge with your camera. If possible, climb up to Frisco Pass; look for the wood pole indicating the high point of the trail at 6850 ft.

A note about maps: My National Geographic TOPO software didn't have the loop trail. The TOPO kiosk at my local REI didn't show it either. Both of them did show the Lake Ann trail and the Rainy Lake trail. And the TOPO section was obviously the conjunction of four maps (which didn't match up well). The Green Trails maps show the trail, but to get the entire trail you will need to buy both #49 (Mt. Logan) and #50 (Washington Pass, I believe). I ended up printing the TOPO map for the Lake Ann portion, and greatly enlarging the lower-right-hand corner of #49 on my copy machine.