Lake Ingalls

I started about 10:30 (1-Nov-09) from the trailhead at the end of the road on the Teanaway River Road (4240’, and after hiking about 1/4 mile took the trail branch marked (overly modestly) as a “way trail”. I saw my first dustings of snow at about 5000’, reached the junction to Ingalls Lake at 5600’. Shortly thereafter reached a stream falling off rocks. The mini-waterfall had many rapidly melting icicles. A little later, I met a couple whom had turned back at the ridge, the first of 4 parties I was to meet that day. There was little snow on the trail until crossing over the ridge. After reaching the north facing slope, snow was several inches deep in spots, but bare in more exposed areas. Fortunately, the larches still had a lot of color in them, as this was a photo trip.
Once at the lake I spent about 2 hours there waiting for the wind to calm, so I could get nice reflections of Mt. Stuart. The lake was not frozen yet, except for a few ice fingers forming in some shady spots. I left after clouds began forming around Stuart’s summit. Later, after stopping in a basin to admire the larch again, I found the summit again to be clear, so I took a photo of the mountain with the full moon rising.

See photos!

http://photo.net/photodb/photo?photo_id=10132352

http://photo.net/photodb/photo?photo_id=10132335