Talapus and Olallie Lakes, Pratt Lake Basin
Oct 06, 2009
by
Janice Van Cleve
—
last modified
Nov 18, 2009 01:32 PM
- Type of Outing
- Day hike
- Read More in our Hiking Guide
- Hike: Pratt Lake Basin
- Region: Snoqualmie Pass -- North Bend Area
- Agency: Mount Baker-Snoqualmie NF
- Trails: Pratt Lake (#1007)
- Avg Rating: 3.62
- Read More in our Hiking Guide
- Hike: Talapus and Olallie Lakes
- Region: Snoqualmie Pass -- Snoqualmie Pass
- Agency: Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest
- Trails: Talapus Lake (#1039)
- Avg Rating: 3.52
Dawn sprinkling through the trees
Trail is in excellent shape. Somebody did some extensive brushing around Pratt Lake and Lake Tuscohatchie, and some very good turnpike construction. There are a couple of culverts that need cleaning out on the approach to Ollalie Saddle and coming down toward Pratt Lake. There are also some sadly sagging bridges - on the Ollalie-Pratt connector and on the Pratt trail after the junction with the connector. Two puncheons where the trail skirts Pratt meadows are missing some planks.
Road 9030 off I-90 is all repaired and in great shape. The trail takes off through the woods, up some stairs, and climbs 12 or 14 gentle switchbacks to a series of small bridges over Lake Talapus outlet stream. A few more gentle switchbacks brings you around the ridge where you can hear the Lake Ollalie outlet stream. Follow this to a very obvious junction with a sign that points to the two aforementioned lakes. To your right is an easy stream crossing. This is the connector to the Pratt Trail which is about 1/4 mile long. The Pratt Trail climbs easily around the slopes above Lake Ollalie to a nice viewpoint and then the Ollalie Saddle junction. Go to the right, downhill. Several switchbacks bring the trail down and around a boulder strewn bowl and then out across a talus slope. From here you can see fall colors on the shores of Lake Pratt and Mt. Kaleetan rising majestically on the horizon.
There is no good spot to sit in the sun at Lake Pratt but just a half mile further is Lake Tuscohatchie with a nice flat rock on the other side of the bridge right on the water. A great place for lunch. Round trip is about 12 miles which I made 3.5 hours in and 3 hours out. Some Chanterells along the trail were past their prime but I did get home with a nice bag of tender young Oyster mushrooms for supper.
Road 9030 off I-90 is all repaired and in great shape. The trail takes off through the woods, up some stairs, and climbs 12 or 14 gentle switchbacks to a series of small bridges over Lake Talapus outlet stream. A few more gentle switchbacks brings you around the ridge where you can hear the Lake Ollalie outlet stream. Follow this to a very obvious junction with a sign that points to the two aforementioned lakes. To your right is an easy stream crossing. This is the connector to the Pratt Trail which is about 1/4 mile long. The Pratt Trail climbs easily around the slopes above Lake Ollalie to a nice viewpoint and then the Ollalie Saddle junction. Go to the right, downhill. Several switchbacks bring the trail down and around a boulder strewn bowl and then out across a talus slope. From here you can see fall colors on the shores of Lake Pratt and Mt. Kaleetan rising majestically on the horizon.
There is no good spot to sit in the sun at Lake Pratt but just a half mile further is Lake Tuscohatchie with a nice flat rock on the other side of the bridge right on the water. A great place for lunch. Round trip is about 12 miles which I made 3.5 hours in and 3 hours out. Some Chanterells along the trail were past their prime but I did get home with a nice bag of tender young Oyster mushrooms for supper.
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A sad, sagging bridge
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Pratt Lake
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Kaleetan reflected in Tuscohatchie
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