Trip Reports

No more fall colors here. I got a picture of basically the last larch with any needles on it.

The last section of the hike, across the ridge to the lake, seems more or less impassable due to deep snow obscuring the trail. I believe I can see where the trail picks up further on, but between the point of disappearance and there are big slippery rocks that are covered in 1-2 feet of snow so you can't really tell where to step.

Weather is turning snowy, it was snowing on and off the whole way up and got pretty serious on my way down.

The hike up to Ingalls Pass was fairly straightforward, with several inches of snow near the summit.

I made a slow descent over snow and rocks down the back side of Ingalls Pass, then as far as Headlight Basin before losing the trail in the snow. Recent snowfall had obscured other hikers' footprints.

I decided to turn back before reaching the lake, due to treacherous footing in places (snow was 8" deep in places, other places there were rocks right under the surface) and not being 100% sure where the trail was.

Here's a YouTube video of the view near the top of Ingalls Peak.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fAp3ufVxxqc&feature=plcp

Well, hiking season is pretty much over in this area :( We were the first to get to Ingalls pass, and it was snowing pretty much the whole way up Teanaway River Road. We had snow on the trail from the very start, and about 6 inches at the pass. The weather did clear up later on the way down, but we didn't wait for Stewart to show itself. The previous trip reports show what it looks like up there pretty well. But, the larch trees were still looking good over the pass! I'm sure they're past their prime by now. We still had a blast, and were able to make it up to the ridge in about 2 hours, and down in about 1 hour and 15 mins due to the snow (it was fast going on the way down).

But, if you still want to see fall colors, drive up the River road... The valley was absolutely GORGEOUS with all of the leaves changing colors.

Beautiful conditions for photography with sun, larches and snow. I wish that I had seen terpenes report from yesterday so that I would have prepared for snow. The snow is up to 2 feet deep and it was very slushy by afternoon. My feet were soaking wet by the end of the day. 75% of the larches are past prime or have already lost their needles. 25% are still looking bright yellow but probably not for long. Temperature ranged from about 35 to 50. No smoke in the air at all. I wonder if the Wenatchee fires are out now? 2 hours to the trailhead from Bellevue. 9mi RT. Slow going from the pass to the lake. Poles are very helpful.

Deb and I hit this one just after it dumped snow, we caught the last of the larches. They were gorgeous! Needles were falling fast but we didn't care blue sky and snow made for amazing hike! We didn't make the lake today and we didn't even care. Tons of hikers were out enjoying this one too.

Intrigued by recent reports of fall larch colors in the area, I rose early and made the long drive to the Lake Ingalls trailhead. The 10 mile gravel road is in really good shape, in contrast to its usual potholed, obstacle course condition. I was surprised, though, to find the expansive parking lot covered with ice! And a cold wind was coming down off the surrounding peaks, adding to the gloomy, cloudy mood. However, some of the best hikes I've done have started just like this, so I geared up and headed up the trail with optimism.

It turned out to be a good news / bad news scenario; an overnight snowstorm had knocked most of the larch needles off the trees, so the fall color was far less than optimal. The good news? The weather forecast was accurate and it turned into a sunny, glorious autumn day in the Teanaway. Trudging up the trail through the increasingly deep snow, though, I had my doubts. Just a few minutes from the trailhead I had to stop to put on every piece of clothing I had to combat the cold, breezy conditions. But the temperature moderated as I approached Ingalls Pass and, just as I hit the top of the ridge, the wind disappeared and the sun popped out, revealing a snowy wonderland. And bright - the air was crystal clear, thanx to the recent precipitation that finally extinguished all the fires just over the hill.

Just moments before my plan had been "get there, take a few pics, hightail it back to the car". Once there, I couldn't drag myself away. This was a common sentiment among the (surprisingly) many hikers at the pass.

It is still possible to get across Headlight Basin and through the pass to Lake Ingalls, but it would be a slow slog as the snow is getting deep. I went as far as the other side of the basin before turning around, and some peak-baggers cancelled their ascent of South Ingalls Peak due to conditions.

According to two hikers coming down the trail after camping overnight in Headlight Basin, all this snow came overnight. Instant winter! And a good example of why it's always wise to be prepared when hiking in the mountains. I, of course, wasn't really prepared, lacking gaiters and traction devices, both of which will be de rigueur for the rest of the winter. Fortunately I did have lots of clothes, which helped make up for soaking wet feet.

All in all, it turned out to be a great day in the mountains.

Last weekend I was too sick to join Gary and John for a larch backpacking trip to Stiletto Peak in the North Cascades. First time I've been under the weather in several years. With the end of dry weather coming and larch at their peak I had to get in a trip. It required taking a day off work. On the positive side, Ingalls is mobbed on the October larch weekends. We had no such crowds. Kim was free and joined me. We headed out of town early and reached the trailhead by 8:40 am. Ten minutes later we were on our way. I was surprised to see only two other cars in the lot. Easily the least I have seen at the Ingalls trailhead. Blue skys overhead on this last of 90 consecutive dry days. The coming rain does is needed. The fires east of Highway 97 may finally be put out. We had some smoke in the air early but it cleared out for the most part.

It was quite cold at the start but as we climbed out of the valley it warmed up. We also were out of the shade fairly fast. Lots of colorful leaves down low but in the shade they were muted. The trail to Ingalls Pass is very gently graded. It takes the better part of four miles to gain less than 2000'. We could see one snow patch left down low on the north side of Esmerelda Peaks. It will last right up to the new snow fall. That might only be a week or two away at higher elevations. The general deer season starts in only another two days. We saw a number of hunter camps being set up along the Teanaway Road. No need for orange on this day.

We saw nobody else on our hike to the pass. There is one tree down across the trail about a half mile below the pass. Unfortunately folks have been cutting around it. Ground cover does not grow easily at 5600' this far east of the crest. That bypass trail will be there for years to come. Only one cut is needed to remove the small tree. Some reports from the prior weekend suggested that the larch peak was still one to two weeks away. The photos seemed to show it would be earlier. When I reached the pass I was happy to see that we hit within a day or two of the peak. Still a few green. A few dropping needles . The bulk of the larch were right at their peak color.

Most of my Ingalls larch visits have been after a light snow fall. Mt. Stuart highlighted in white and enough snow to cover some of the ground in Headlight Basin. Not so this year. No rain in three months and no signs of snow. The peaks are a little less impressive with no snow but it was comfortably warm day. Short sleeve warm for much of the day. As expected our pace really slowed down beyond the pass. The sun was low even nearing mid day. The larch seemed very muted until they were between us and the sun. Then they really lit up. On the way to Ingalls Lake the trees ahead of us were muted but behind us they were on fire. I had to constantly keep looking backwards.

While at the pass the first group caught up with us. A number more passed us as well. Everyone enjoyed the larch colors. We spend far more time photographing the trees and much less time at the lake. So many trees so close to their peak made for a very enjoyable day. The little creek in the meadow was still flowing with plenty of water. It was full of larch needles. They showed the patterns of the water current in an unexpected way. They also created black shadows on the bottom of the creek. Beyond the bulk of the larch we followed the trail as it winds it's way over to Ingalls Lake. Some cairns are useful to help folks stay on route. It has really gotten out of hand since last year. In places there are cairns every five to ten feet. At one spot I had on just behind me, one just ahead, and one on either side. With my pole I could touch four cairns from one place.

We arrived at the lake to find the several groups who passed us earlier. Nothing remotely like the 60+ people at the lake on my October weekend visit last year. Mhuch on nwhikers.net recognized me near the lake. That does not happen very often. Always nice to meet a hiker I only know from the Internet. Kim arrived at the lake just after me. Above her on the rocks were a mother goat and her kid. They came on down and proceeded to meander around the hikers. That was one of the longest and best goad encounters I have had. We headed back at about 2:00 pm. Kim tweaked her knee and the rocky trail back to the basin was not much fun for her. I think the views largely made up for it. Looking back to the pass the larch were all back lit. A little too much glare but a great sight none the less.

On the hike in I had mentioned to Kim that the current photo at the top of the Washington Trails Association (wta.org) site was one I took of Paul in Headlight Basin several years ago. As we hiked back to the basin I was recognized a second time this day. It was Paul. The same Paul I photographed very nearby. It is a small world. That was the first time I had ever ran into him on the trail. Paul and his wife were also taking advantage of the last dry day and the peaking larch.

We spent quite a bit of time meandering around the basin. Larch season would be exactly one day long for me this year and I was in no hurry to see it end. The conditions were nearly perfect. Bright sun to light up the trees. A cool fall day at 6000' but unseasonably warm. To top it off, Kim met her friend Steven who we knew would be in the basin this day. It was about 3:45 when we finally headed down from Ingalls Pass. Most of the other groups had already gone down. The trail is so gentle that it is easy on the knees. We set a slow steady pace. Still great views out to the peaks around us. Mhuch passed us near the bottom. He had gone around to the back side of Ingalls Lake. I also caught up with Paul just before the trailhead.

We had a quick dinner at the trailhead picnic table and headed out at 6:00 pm I was surprised to see that there were still eight other cars in the lot. Not sure where they all went. They are still doing evening blasting along Keechelus Lake. We arrived at 7:00 pm to find a two mile backup that was just starting to move again after the 6:00 - 7:00 pm highway closure. It took about 25 minutes for us to get moving. I was not home until 8:45 pm. That made for one long day hike.

All in all, this was an exceptional day in the mountains. Great weather, great larch colors, and great company. Not even remotely similar to the 24 person group on last year's hike. I was surprised to see that there is no longer a sign at the trailhead or at the Ingalls Way Trail junction mentioning that dogs are not allowed. There is a small sign of prohibitions at the pass that includes dogs but that is it. We saw one dog at the lake and I found it hard to blame anyone in a group that hiked all the way to the pass and then found out. That one point aside it was a great hike. Almost enough to make me forget about missing the backpacking trip to Stiletto. Almost.

I have posted a total of 61 annotated photos on my website located at: http://www.hikingnorthwest.com. Go to "Trips - 2012" on the left margin.

The larches are in peak fall color! The trail is in fine condition (very dry yesterday, with the only significant water source in the meadow beyond the pass and the lake). The cairns along the trail are helpful to get from the meadow up the rocky slope to the lake.

The lake is snow free and two mountain goats (adult and juvenile) were hanging out around it.

Stunning views of valleys, Mt. Stuart and nearby ridges, despite a slight hazy-ness from the wildfire smoke.

Incredible Hike! The weather was perfect..warm and sunny but not too hot, smoke-free. The views are stunning all the way up and down this trail, and the larches are in their full glory. There are not enough superlatives to describe the beauty and diversity of this hike! Headlight Creek basin is astoundingly beautiful, capped by the lovely Lake Ingalls, which is surrounded by impressive and imposing peaks. A 5-star trip all the way!

A thick layer of smoke hung in the air this morning over the Kittitas Valley and the southern Teanaway Valley; however, the visibility improved significantly as we drove closer and closer to the trailhead. It was chilly as we started the hike, but the sun and very light winds made the climb up to Ingalls Pass quite pleasant. As we got to the pass we were greeted by three mountain goats: a male, a female, and a kid. They hung around for awhile, before they decided they had enough attention from the paparazzi and wandered off. I've hiked many times in the Cascades and never encountered goats until today, so that made the hike extra special. The views of Mt. Stuart were spectacular as usual, and not obscured by smoke. The smoke to the south did hide Mount Rainier which is usually visible from the pass. But the objective of our hike, as well as the hoards of other hikers, was to see the fall colors. Some of the larches were a vibrant orange color, while others were still a greenish yellow. So overall, the display of color in the basin was still not quite at its peak potential.

I camped the previous night at nearby Twentynine Pines, a nice campsite although not terribly well marked so you need to know it's there ahead of time. This part of Kittitas County is under Extreme Fire Hazard so there's a Burn Ban in effect that's been extended repeatedly since the beginning of August. Considering I saw forest fires burning on the way to the camp site, I'm not surprised. As a result, camping is deserted, so it was very quiet and pleasant. It was a nice temperature during the day on Saturday. Sunday morning at 7A I checked and it was 30F. No frost or dew - very dry and clear air. I heard Great Horned Owls at night and had a great view of the stars.

Around 9:15A I was at the trail head. I didn't take another temperature reading again but I would guess it was probably high 40s. I couldn't bare to start off without a sweater even though I knew it was just going to end up in the pack after a 1/4 mile. The beginning of the hike is probably the steepest, making it a good warm up.

I couldn't have asked for more for the hike. There were only about a dozen cars in the lot, and there are several other trails that start at the same Emerald Basin location. I took my time and throughout the day I saw probably around half a dozen groups of other hikers total. Although with the switchbacks, sometimes you can hear folks from a ways off before you see them.

For those who like bouldering, there is some really great rock at the lake. Lots and lots of crack climbs to be had for different views of the water below. The water itself was crystal clear, did not have an offensive smell. It does not appear to have any fish. It was very cold as to be expected, in my opinion probably colder than the Columbia River but I didn't actually check the temperature. Just wetting your hands for a few moments, the wind chill brings them down to a painfully cold temperature. There are even a few patches of snow surrounding the lake that never melted.

The hottest temperature I recorded in the midday sun part way through my ascent was 74F with a fair wind. The Lake was probably closer to 70F in the early afternoon. Sunscreen is a must for those who burn easily. The trail is in really good condition - no blow downs at all, no mud, the rock bridges are in good condition. The only part that gave me any trouble was descending I lost the trail several times and had to backtrack. Primarily the trouble for me was in the larch grove where there are many natural rock staircases that look like trails. Thankfully because it's dry, almost 100% of the trail has some pulverized rock dust, there are footprints, a good indicator of what's trail and what isn't.

I saw a female grouse on the trail, evidence of mountain goat (cloven footprints at the lake and droppings on the surrounding rock) but no actual sightings, painted lady butterfly, pika, raven, red tailed hawk, chickadee, other small song birds, curious loud ticking insect with an interesting flight display pattern, squirrel and (not to be confused with) chipmunk.

Again probably because of the dryness, no mosquitoes to speak of. I returned to the parking lot right at sundown, so 6:50P, and even though the sun sets behind the peak a good 60 to 90 minutes earlier, visibility is still good, and probably would have been for another half hour at least.

Overall perfect time to visit. There was perhaps 20' total of the entire trail that had any mud. Visibility was good - I could see Rainier and Adams in the afternoon. The Larch grove is bright yellow currently. Lots of other undergrowth is in various stages of reds, oranges, yellows, and browns as well. There are still a few flowers blooming but they are mostly finished. No berries to speak of.

A great day for a hike out to Lake Ingalls. We hit the trail at 10:45 am and the weather was perfect, warm with a slight breeze. The trail is very well marked the entire way to Ingalls Pass and many cairns mark the route through the granite section on the other side.

Once over Ingalls Pass, you could see the huge smoke clouds to the east rising up, but luckily they didn't block our view at all. Made it to the lake and took a break for lunch with an amazing view and our feet resting in the cold water. After that, we walked around the entire lake (highly recommended) and had majestic views of Mt Stuart and Ingalls Valley below.

Unfortunately there were no mountain goats out, but the beautiful clear lake was certainly no disappointment. I would highly recommend this hike to anyone who loves those alpine lake views!

WOW!! that all I can really say. The drive in from Seattle seemed a bit extensive but in the end WELL worth it. I will return for an overnighter. BTW I did hike with my dog but you should probably choose to leave your dog at home on this one. I will next time. I didn't see any posts at the trailhead regarding dogs but at the top dogs aren't allowed. There are goats up there!

Chose this hike for our 25th anniversary, as Ingalls Lake was our first backpack trip 35 years ago. The hike to the Lake is a popular classic. The scramble of the South Peak is reasonably easy, while the North Peak, which is 20 feet higher, is a technical climb.

Conditions were great, with no steep snow or ice axes needed. There is a slight chance of rockfall, and we wore helmets. Perfect weather, no bugs, and great views. We ended the climb with a refreshing swim in Lake Ingalls.
A great dinner and night spent at Sleeping Lady resort in Leavenworth finished off a perfect day.

I went on a Cascadian backpack to Headlight Basin Fri – Sun. We arrived about mid-afternoon and after setting up camp most folks just stayed in the basin, though a couple went over to Ingalls Lake. That evening there was very nice light on Mt Stuart. On Sat morning a couple more Cascadians showed up on a day hike. About half the party went over to Ingalls Lake to fish & soak up the views while the other half scrambled the south peak of Ingalls. This old man hadn’t slept well and didn’t start over to the lake until about 12:30. I found my favorite rock, had lunch, then lazed away a couple of hours in the sun. Finally I climbed the slabs above the lake a ways to photograph, then made my way down & back to camp. On Sun we packed up mid-morning and were back to the cars by lunchtime. There weren’t too many people in the basin on Fri night, but on Sat night there were tents in every possible nook & cranny. A small goat hung around our campsite most of the time we were there and there were a few more goats in the basin and at the lake. There were some nice wildflowers, though nothing in profusion, and very few mosquitoes. The weather was sunny and mild with a breeze at times. A great time was had by all.

There were 84 cars and more arriving on Saturday to a parking area that may comfortably hold 30.

The trail is well-worn and stretches are trying to become the smooth, steep slope they once were. This is no problem until you meet oncoming hikers. The flowers, the views, the red rock basins and green meadows are as spectacular as the wildlife, which is profuse.

Besides the goats, marmots, pikas and chipmunks, we encountered a doe and twin spotted fawns on the road in, as well as wild turkeys, kestrels, a Sharp-shinned hawk, Clark's nutcrackers, a White headed woodpecker and Mountain bluebirds. This place is special, indeed.

Choose this hike. You won't be disappointed!

http://youtu.be/Dw-pTws_afA

This is a great hike. Great views from Ingall's Pass, great goats in Headlight Basin, and great views going to and at Lake Ingalls. The weather was perfect for my two buddies from Spokane and I to stay overnight in this beautiful and exciting paradise.

The hike up to the Pass and the Lake are best done early in the morning before the sun reaches the long stretch of exposed slope. There are bugs, but good repellant keeps them from biting. The goats are unafraid, but not agressive.

Lake Ingalls is as beautiful as ever. There is still snow on the perimeter, making the trip to the outlet waterfall difficult.

There are many varieties of wildflowers blooming, but they tend to be smaller than the same species in the North Cascades probably because of the drier climate.

We met about a dozen hikers Friday. The parking lot was overflowing Saturday morning when we hiked out, and dozens of cars were heading for the trailhead when I drove out. The trail will be busy today.

Beautiful day (upper 80s). The lake is still frozen in spots, lots of wildflowers on the way up. Snow is still around the lake, as well as lots of mosquitoes! Streams ran on the trail in two areas. There were several mountain goats on the trail, and a sizable herd at the lake. Many had 1-2 kids, and were VERY curious, so be very careful if you hike with your children!

If you haven't been, go. This hike set a new bar for incredible day hikes in Washington.

The trail to Ingalls Pass has some snow patches but all are easily passable, and a couple of blowdowns that are not too bad. At the pass, there were quite a few bugs, but they mostly left us alone on the rest of the trail. Beyond the pass, route finding because a bit tricky, as much of the trail is on snow, but following boot paths and having a general idea of where the lake is was sufficient. There's still a good 5-8 feet of snow over much of this stretch, so it may be here a while.

The lake itself is still pretty much frozen.

We arrived at the trailhead in the late afternoon, expecting to pack in and camp. But the heavens opened up and the lightning commenced just as we were about to hit the trail. After waiting out the storm for more than half an hour, we decided to turn back rather than try to camp in a torrential downpour. On the way out in our vehicle on the forest road, we (and a number of other hikers) encountered a substantial washout that made the road impassable for all but the high-clearance 4-wheel drives. A mud torrent had washed down the mountain and brought water, rocks and a large tree snag with it. We got through, but I wonder if anyone had to spend the ought on the other side. Also wonder what the condition of the road might be today.

What a great hike and overnighter we had. The trail is in great condition. We got into snow at about 1 mike from the ridge. We used gators and micro spikes, but neither were absolutely crucial to have. We got to the ridge just before the sun slid behind ingalls peak, it was beautiful. We got to the ridge in 2.5 hours with 40-50 lb packs on.
The basin after that is completely snowed in still. There are a bunch of rocks that are snow free, we chose one of these to set up camp on. There wasn't any water source in the basin, we had to melt snow for our water needs. We had a beautiful evening up there, and it was surprisingly mild, probably got down to 40-45 degrees at the lowest. We also had some mountain goat guest that were just circling the area with a pretty young kid, couldn't have been more than about 25lbs.
Saturday morning we made our way to ingalls lake. It was still completely frozen, more so than I expected. There were a couple small spots on the south end of the lake that were starting to thaw but just barely. We were able to comfortable walk on the lake without any fear of falling in. Probably a couple feet deep of ice still. It will be a good month probably before the lake is completely thawed. Overall though it was a great trip, this is one of my favorites!!

I decided to celebrate my independence this year by getting into the mountains. It was a beautiful, bluebird day to be in the Cascades, for sure. Made it to the Ingalls Way trailhead around 10:45. Hiked up to the Ingalls Way/Esmeralda fork and came across the avalanche chute (Photo 1). Decided to explore the chute for a while, which was a lot of fun and (almost) made me wish I had my skis. Didn't get back on the trail until 12:30 but made good time on the lower section--the trail is nicely maintained and mostly snow free until about a mile below Ingalls Pass. The snow was a little sloppy by the time I was on it and I stopped to put on crampons for added efficiency (but they weren't really necessary for safety). Over the pass, the upper basin is pretty much filled in with snow and was absolutely gorgeous (Photo 2). Endless glissades to be had (Photo 3). Encountered a furry friend at the lake (Photo 4) but no other humans, which is always nice. Mountain therapy to the max!

I was up on the Tenneway/Ingalls lake trail. I got onto the wrong trail and to make up time decided to run back to the junction and then go back up to Ingalls lake and lost my tarptent squal 2. If you found it please give me a call on.

It is a Gray 4" x 24" package with a couple aluminum Wide tent stakes in it.

If you found it, I would be more than willing to meet you anywhere to pick it up.

Phone 425-392-0975

Thanks!

Early trip to Ingalls Lake, 6/24/2012. Left Seattle at 5:45, arrived trailhead a little after 8, on the trail a few minutes later.

Avalanche chute at start of Ingalls Pass trail tricked me and I went straight up it for a couple of 100 yards. Easy snow conditions made ofr quick elevation gain - even though I knew I was was too far South. Found game trail headed North so I followed and then bushwacked into the Y where the trails split. Snow most of the way from there to Ingalls Pass.

From the pas I put on crampons and made a quick traverse over to Ingalls Lake and back. Staying high made for a fast back and forth to the lake. Nice to have crampons for some of the steep spots.

Back to the pass, pulled off the crampons and then followed tracks in the snow down to the trail and finally trail head. Here I realized I should have just crossed the avalanche, perhaps angling up 20 feet to reach the trail on the way in. It would have saved some bushwacking.

Lots of snow, but well worth the 4 hours of driving for 5 hours of hiking.

Hiked up in an attempt on Ingalls Peak (poor visibility turned us back the next morning) but the views Friday night were the best I have ever had since I started hiking. Trail is strenuous, steep, and snowy - an avalanche deeply covered the intersection with 1394 (don't go up the chute - stay low and the trail is 50 or 100 feet across the other side).

The trail is almost entirely snow covered all the way to Ingalls Pass and beyond. Footprints make for decent route finding. Footing on the Ingalls Way trail below the pass is treacherous in places with some poor runouts - bring at least poles, if not an axe (used a couple times). If you're going to the lake (almost entirely frozen still), crampons would have been nice, but we didn't have/need them.

But the rewards are unbelievable. I highly recommend spending the night near the pass when visibility is good. Great views of Rainier and even a peek of Mt. Adams can be had.

Unfortunetly we could not make it to the trail head. The last few miles of the road before the trail head was covered in almost two feet of snow. I have a 4x4 truck and got stuck twice in extremely dry sugary snow that I could not get traction in. So we finally gave up reluctantly.

Gorgeous November day for the hike! Started from TH at 8:30AM and ended at 3:30 PM. Patches of snow ~1 mile into the hike. Several spots were icy. Took a side scramble trip to an unnamed peak (6850 ft) southeast of Ingalls Pass - great 360 views from the top!

The last remaining golden color of larches could still be found. More snow on the north side past Ingalls Pass. Snow were 6-8 inches deep in places so gaitors would help. Entire lake was frozen but absolutely beautiful. Saw a dozen or so hikers on our way down.

Wanted to do something that might provide some late fall color and see whether the Larches were still showing their color. So, we decided to do an overnighter at Lake Ingalls based upon the weather reports from the NOAA website.

There was plenty of color on the drive to the TH, and we arrived around 10 and were on the trail soon after. The temps were cool but not uncomfortable. We started to hit traces of snow soon after making the turn towards Ingalls pass and then naturally, as we gained elevation the snow depth increased, but not more than 6-7 inches. The trip to the pass was uneventful, as there had already been people up there before us and they had blazed a good trail through the snow. Trekking poles helped and traction devices were not really needed. The sun was shining on the way up and this made for a really nice hike.

At the top of the pass we were treated to stunning views of Mt. Stuart and Headlight Basin, and while many of the larches had already dropped all their needles, there were still some that provided great pictures. We proceeded along the trail around the top portion of the basin where the snow was a bit deeper but still manageable to where the main trail intersects with the trail that goes through Headlight Basin, took that turnoff to find a level campsite, where we then setup our camp, had lunch, and then headed back up to the final push into the lake.

Once there, we had the lake to ourselves for a short while, and made our way up the boulders to the left for a nice overview of the lake and the surrounding area. It was pretty breezy so the lake wasn’t mirror smooth, but we still had excellent views and photo opportunities. After a bit, we headed back down to our campsite fix dinner and soak in the views.

Went to bed with clear skies, and they were still clear at 04:00, but between then and 06:00, the rain moved in. The temps overnight dipped down to the mid 30’s, but by the morning it had risen to the mid 40’s. This made for a rather wet coffee and breakfast but it’s all good as we were well prepared for any weather we might encounter. It didn’t look as if the rain was going to let up anytime soon, so we waited till it was only misting, packed up and started our way out of the basin to the pass, where we picked up the main trail, which after all the previous days traffic and morning rain had turned into a slushy, sometimes frozen mess. Carried traction devices, but never put them on. Poles on the way down certainly helped. By the time we reached the turnoff of Longs Pass, the rain had stopped and the sun started to show itself and it was good weather the rest of the way out. Short stop in Cle Elum for lunch and then on our way back to the Puget Sound.

Snow is pretty compact and slick once you go over the pass- didn't need any sort of traction though. Bunch of mud nearing the lake. Awesome fall colors!

The parking lot was starting to fill up when we arrived at 9:15 am, on trail by 9:30 am and the views started almost immediately. The trail is in great shape and easy to track. The snow started appearing about half way to the pass on the trail. In trace amounts at first then as we progressed up so did the snow. 2/3 of the way up traction tires (on your feet) :) are needed for a smoother go of it, compacted snow and ice is abundant. Snowshoes and/or traction tires are suggested, foot ware. :)
The larch are in full swing, colors galore.
PS the road was clear.. all the way to the trail head.

Ingalls Lake is deservedly a popular hike in larch season. This year was perfect - blue skies, white snow, yellow larch...and hikeable in short sleeves as there was no wind. I stayed in Headlight Basin with the camera and tripod, loath to leave.

Just above the Longs Pass junction I put on my traction. After breaking my wrist last February, I'm a bit leery of falling.

Wow! From the start, the views on this trail are rewarding, as you pass from one eco system to the next. In the first mile, the huckleberries and other brush are turning brilliant reds and yellows, with the rocky Esmeralda Peaks coming into view. Frosty patches appear on the trail as you enter the more barren, rocky cirques in the next mile and a half. And by mile 3, snow covers most of the trail. Before you know it, you're walking in over 10" of soft white stuff.
My girlfriends and I chose the very best day of the week; today we enjoyed bright blue skies, wispy high clouds and crisp, cool temps. The trail was easy to follow and not too strenuous, until just before the pass, when stepping up over snow covered rocks began to challenge our legs - and the anticipation of seeing the golden larches began to challenge our patience. Finally, we reached the pass and behold - the larches! These bright trees were scattered in the basin below majestic Mt. Stuart, sprinkled with what looked like powdered sugar. Against the sparkling white stuff and blue skies, the golden larches were brilliant! What a surprise to see so much snow in October! Previous trip reports made no mention of the foot of snow leading to Ingalls Pass, nor did they mention the snowy obstacle of getting to Ingalls Lake from the pass. We chose not to attempt reaching the lake, as did the dozen or more other hikers who lunched at the pass with us. A few brave souls hiked down into the bowl and onto the red rock, but didn't venture up over the ridge to the lake, as there were places where the snow was over a foot and a half deep. Despite our momentary disappointment of not seeing Ingalls Lake, we indulged in the benefits of seeing the amazing layers of rocky peaks that surround Ingalls Pass! We enjoyed our lunch, took countless pictures, visited with fellow hikers who shared their experiences from previous visits, and promised each other we'd be back to reach the lake on our next visit. Better yet, we'd backpack into the area and spend several days exploring the vast expanse of craggy peaks, the valleys strewn with streams and tarns, and bask in the sun on the smooth, red rock! I can't wait! This is a special place in the Alpine Lakes Wilderness!

Decided to ignore the iffy weather forecast and go hiking today. Glad I did. While there were clouds hanging over Esmeralda Peaks and Ingalls Pass as I started up the trail at 10:30, they went away by the time I reached the pass. There were thin high clouds around, but the sun managed to break through at times. No wind either so it was very pleasant walking around Headlight Basin. The larches are not quite at peak color yet, but should be there in a few days or a week depending on the weather. Was surprised there were relatively few people on the trail today, given that it was a Sunday. Based on the previous reports, it looks like everyone went yesterday. Good for them.

There have already been a number of trip reports for Ingalls Lake this past weekend. I do not have a lot more to add. I do have quite a few annotated photos on my site though. As expected many of them are of golden larch trees.

To find them go to: http://www.hikingnorthwest.com. Go to "Trips - 2011" on the left margin.

Ethan & I headed off towards Ingalls Lake today along with about 200 other people. Our destination was the larches in Headlight Basin. It was mostly sunny when we started, but by the time we reached Ingalls Pass the clouds were moving in & it was partly to mostly cloudy the rest of the day until we started hiking out when it became mostly sunny again. The larches were about 50 - 50: some yellow, but many still green or just beginning to turn. The views of Fortune, Ingalls, & Stuart were still spectacular, however. There were so many other hikers that we felt like we were part of a parade. I guess lots of folks were just like us, trying to catch what's looking like the last good day in the mountains this fall. And even though the larches weren't at their peak, who could complain on a beautiful day in such a place!

This could be the one of hundreds of trip reports for today...there were that many people on the trail. But is is a beautiful, awesome hike and we had great weather.The hike up to the pass winds through forest and finally goes beyond the tree line. Fabulous vistas looking down to Mt Adams and a beautiful view of Mt. Rainier. On up we went with small wild flowers still hanging on, mountain asters, a little paint brush type flowers and little bits of purple, white and yellow.

When you reach the pass, Mount Stuart is sitting there with its new dusting of snow and down into the valley you see the larches turning. That's what everyone was there for. They are just beginning to turn but it was enough for our group. They were lovely. The sun filtering through was a beautiful sight... and a little snow to set them off was the perfect touch. The little bit of snow had been melting on the trail so it was a little muddy in spots and the rocks on the trail could be slippery.

We were so busying enjoying the larches that we didn't make it much past the camp area. We sat and had lunch at the meandering stream that isn't quite a waterfall but slowly winds down into the valley wiggling around the rocky cliff.

At that point we turned around and headed down enjoying different views as we headed back down. A fabulous hike on a great day. I'll be doing this one again.

Snow at the top and on to Headlight Basin; very,very windy with rain, which made for a "cool hike". Low clouds, which never really cleared making for minimal views. Lots of hikers on the trail. Trail is in fairly good shape.

Snow starts just below the pass - just a couple inches. Not sure the conditions at the Lake - too late in the day to make it. Couldn't even see the lake due to the thick clouds that moved in.

This is such a great trail to hike! This was my 3rd time at Lake Ingalls, first for my 4 hiker friends... and a first overnight for 2 of them! We had rain off and on all the way up, but still in great spirits - chatting the whole way! With the weather we were a bit concerned about the scramble to/around the lake and decided not to venture far from the main grass of the lake edge. While we were at the lake we had high clouds, low clouds, misty fog, and a few tiny sun breaks. Lots of wind in the night and pretty chilly in my 25° bag.
Larches were JUST starting to turn - next weekend they should be spectacular! And amazingly there are still some wild flowers!
As a previous hiker said, some parts of the trail slope downhill... would be a restoration project candidate.
Still a fave hike, look forward to a return trip in the future!

Led two friends from Columbia to the pass and into Headlight Basin. Georgeous weather left Mt. Stuart, Ingalls Peak, Esmerelda Peak and other near geography crystal clear. It all had an almost timeless Ansel Adams look. Views extended to Mt. Rainier but not Mt. Adams.

I was surprised to see some wildflowers, including gentian, scarlet gila, asters, pearly everlasting, and one lupine in bloom. Neither Mountain Larch nor Alpine Larch where starting to change colors.

Saw several mountain goats. One at the upstream end of Headlight Basin and another near the lake. We did not go to the lake because we had far too much beauty in the meadows of Headlight Basin.

Did not see a single blueberry. There may be some hungry bears in this part of the woods. There were several dozen other people on the trail and the parking lot was full by 10am.

It would be a nice project to re-establish the tread along much of the trail. The trail is mostly slanted downhill.

This was a perfect hike. The trail was in good shape, no more snow except small patches right at the lake. From Ingalls pass to the lake there are two routes, and we did the loop, from the pass to the left and up, over rocks, and returning down through the alpine meadows. On the trail up to the pass there were lots of yarrows in full bloom, and in the alpine meadows everything from lupine to gentian. What a strange year for the plants! Only a few blueberries, and the larch trees are still green. We saw rabbits, chipmunks and deer on the south side of the pass and picas and marmots on the north side. Fortunately, we were bothered by bugs, and I did not even put on my DEET.

We got to the trail head after dark and started night hiking at around 9:30. The night hike was very pleasant and felt much easier than if we'd would have if hiked under the scorching heat of the sun. Of course, we had to be more cautious, as the trail went by deep drop-offs and ledges. By around 1, we had reached the campsites at the top in a beautiful meadow, and went to sleep immediately. In the morning, we had visitors at the camp, including a chipmunk which bit through my friends' backpack zipper loops, a herd of mountain goats, and of course, swarms of pesky mosquitoes. The mountain goats seemed very friendly, as they came fairly close, but they would keep their distance. The chipmunk would probably be more of a problem than the goats... We quickly packed up and started our way to the lake. The exciting hike crossed ridges which gave spectacular views of the valley encasing Mt. Stuart in the distance. The last bit demanded some climbing, and workout on the calves. Once over, the lake came in sight. There were some spots covered in left-over snow, but none in the way of the trails. We went further to the far side of the lake, and were rewarded with a beautiful view of a distant meadow, and a grand view of Mt. Stuart. After we set up camp, we went dipping in the lake. After being baked so long under the hot sun, it was very refreshing. Several other hikers had the same idea. We fished for a while, successfully catching some rainbow trout. For the rest of the day, we enjoyed the view as much as we could, knowing that our time was short in this wonderful alpine oasis. The next morning, we hiked down, and were able to see some great scenery we missed when it was dark. Lake Ingalls gives a fair challenge, but the reward is worth all the effort. The hike had some of the best scenery and wildlife I have seen. Definitely bring bug spray though...

HD video with goats: http://vimeo.com/28873035

I also added GPS coordinates to video description since lake can be little bit tough to find if you miss some cairn markers.

Amazing trail and quite different due to high elevation. Pretty long strenuous hike to the lake (at least 4.5 mile) but great views all the way. Saw total of 6 mountain goats about half a mile before the lake and all disappeared on way back. For some reason they all moved straight towards us. We kept walking just in case:-).

I can imagine it can be very hot but it was little bit cloudy fortunately and on way back weather changed suddenly and there was some light drizzle.

Note to get to the trailhead my GPS with new maps directed me to a dirt road 20mi away from southwest (which wasn't possible since road was closed). So be aware that GPS might be wrong. There should be 10 miles unpaved road before end of road. Road was in decent condition but wish it would be bit shorter:-).

So after reading about and seeing pictures of Lake Ingalls, few of us decided to go up there and enjoy the views in person. I left up myself for the first night leaving from the trailhead at 4:30pm. The hike up to the Ingalls pass seemed pretty long and a lot of climbing to get to the top. Once you get to the top of the pass its only about 45 minutes to the lake. On the way I ran across more then a dozen mountain goats all over including right on the trail. They seem to not mind me on the trail and continued on their way with no issues. The last 0.2 is really steep and a scramble straight up to the top. Once at the top, I had arrived at the lake as the sun was setting quickly. Almost everyone camps little more then a mile before the lake down in the basin, but figured thats to far away to be from the lake. The map at the pass shows camping sites just passed the lake and about 100 yards passed the lake there are a few camp site location on a rocky cliff you can camp. The 2nd day the rest of the hikers arrived and set up camp. Explored the rocky terrain and jumped in the lake which is very cold but refreshing. A lot of amazing views and things to do. Sadly my camera battery finally died on the 3rd day as we decided to scramble up to as far as we can go on Ingalls Peak which gave us the most amazing views of the hike. Dont know how else to describe it, but I would go back to Lake Ingalls just to scramble back to the top for a picture.
Bugs are really bad up there so be prepared. No campfires are allowed past Ingalls pass (which is all campsites) and also above 5,000 feet. A lot of fish in the lake, so bring your fishing pole. You have to add this hike to your list of hikes to do and make sure its overnight. Not enough time to do and explore everything if you can only make it a day hike. Enjoy!

Sept. 5th
Began hiking at about 10:30 after a three hour drive which ended with 10 miles of dusty gravel road. Spotted a fantastically large spider within the first half mile. (See picture). The trails were especially fun since the views were very different from hikes where vegetation covers everything. Here, you see the rocks and the formations with sporadic trees, flowers and grasses.
 The early part of the trail was well shaded, which made it nice and the upper part had non-stop views of the nearby rocky ridges. Mt Rainer was visible after gaining enough elevation to be out of the taller trees below. Many squirrels that lived near the trail often sat and watched us hikers. It was very hot once out of the tree canopy, but the discomfort of the heat was offset with the increasingly beautiful vistas of rocks and rock formations. Red rock formations had a puddled appearance and must have been formed by flowing lava. There are black rocks that shine, appearing to be wet. It was slow going since I generally hike at lower elevations but I enjoyed every minute.
I camped on the ridge about a mile from the lake. The meadow there has several small streams, areas of snow and green grass along with small pine trees and wildflowers. It was hot until the sun went down and at about 3 am it was cold enough to be in the sleeping bag rated to 15 degrees and have it fully zipped up. I would guess that the temperature was well below freezing. By 6:30 am the sun was up and it was warm enough to hike without a coat.
The goats were not at all afraid, which was a concern. They didn't challenge me but did not run off when I yelled "shoo". No doubt, this is not the actual way to deter goats. I hiked to Ingalls Lake which often involved rock scrambling. The lake was surreal, without any vegetation. It is surrounded by large colorful rock and huge formations of rock. Mt. Stuart towers over it on the southern end. I had a visitor when a marmot trotted by. He was not fast but didn't pose well for a picture.
This was a great adventure, there are many trails in this area so a map is a good idea. Bring sunscreen sunglasses and bug spray. Start early to avoid hiking in the sun.

This was our second hike of the weekend. Kachess Beacon ( http://www.wta.org/[…]/trip_report.2011-09-05.9605017665 )was on Saturday. Wanting an early start for the lake we decided car camping and finding a spot on Labor Day weekend would be problematic. We did not expect accommodations to be hard in a cheap motel but it was both Labor Day and it was the Ellensburg Rodeo. The dorms were available and we opted for that.

The Teanaway Road has been graded since I did it last year and the potholes were gone with only some washboard areas.

The route is well-known - start out on Esmeralda Basin trail, quickly right onto the Longs Pass/Ingalls Way trail and then left to the Ingalls Way (lake) trail. NO DOGS are permitted although that did not stop all of them, not that they were a problem.

The trail is pleasant switchbacking up through open forest and then rocky slopes, a long traverse and more switchbacks to Ingalls Pass. There were still some flowers but most are past their prime with lupin forming pods. Higher were fresher specimens.

At the pass you have a choice of dropping into the basin you see below or traversing on a rocky trail that rises and falls through the upper basin with some more interesting footing. There were still some snow patches above the trail providing a nice contrast against the rock and meadowy areas. We encountered two goats, one off the trail and another that did not want to clear the path, approaching us a bit too close. Frankly, in the sun, the glistening stiletto like horns did look like formidable weapons. Finally, with a little encouragement (clacked my poles together) it yielded and we continued the traverse. Some up, some down and then the final steep, rocky, just short of scrambling bit to the lake.

The lake is grand with views across to Mt Stuart and Ingalls Peak just above. Lots of folks were here and there, so capturing a peopleless picture was a challenge.

Spent about an hour and then back down and out. About 3 hours in each direction. I-90 back on the middle day of the long weekend was downright pleasant as was I-5.

It was warm so takes lots of water or water-treatment. Bugs were not an issue on the day hike.

We started late on the trail about 6pm and made it to the top of Longs Pass just as the sun was fading away. What an amazing wonderful place to camp!! We felt like we were on the edge of the world up there with BEAUTIFUL GRAND Mt Stuart as our back drop!! The trail was easy and very nice! The bugs were no problem at all it seemed on the hike, however after returning to the car..the itching began. The next morning we were greeted by a couple of awesome fellow hikers on their way to attempt Mt Stuart for the night! Props to them..they went up and over the back of Longs Pass..way to go guys! After watching our new friends take off we decided to do the same and head for the lake. The trail to Lake Ingalls is probably one of the most amazing deverse trails I've been on in some time and I grew up with Crater Lake as my backyard. We encountered a few Goats as promised and the flowers were stunning! The last scramble to the lake was a challenging blast with the most rewarding end! I can not wait to go back!!!

     We got to the trail head at 8:30 in the morning, there were about 10 cars already there. It was also surprisingly cold, my car read 37 degrees, which was actually quite nice to hike in with the sun on our backs. The trail is in very good condition, and we made great time up the trail enjoying views of the surrounding mountains including Mt. Adams and eventually Mt. Rainier towards the top of the pass.
     After crossing over the pass and into the small valley we encountered a momma goat and her kid, they didn't seem to mind much about us and other people that were camping there, but we still kept our distance. As we crossed over the the ridge, we were greeted by the incredable sight of lake Ingalls. What an incredable sight and such a beautiful lake. There really are no words for just how beautiful it is.
     I had read in recent trip reports about how bad the bugs were but we did not experience any really on the entire hike. There were a few spots near the water where there were small swarms of knats, but that was about it. There was a nice slight breeze the entire time we were there which might explain why there weren't any bugs. We continued to hike around the lake where we ran into two other goats, both of which really didn't mind us being there. At one point we got within about 10 feet of a passing goat who just looked at us as he passed. It was a beautiful day up at the lake, I'm guessing around 70 degrees, and the water was very very cold. I've jumped in some cold lakes before but this was much colder, everything went numb as soon as I hit the water.
     Over all, this was a great hike, probably one of the most beautiful hikes and lakes I've ever done.

Anita has wanted to checkout Mt Stuart, so today we headed to Lake Ingalls, up the Teanaway valley near Cle Elum. We arrived at the trail head by 9:30 after a 2 hour drive from the Seattle area. The parking lot was full with many cars lining the dirt road leading to the trail head. This hike is quite popular. Not only is the day hike popular but many backpackers were hiking into the area.

The trail starts by steeply climbing for most of the first quarter mile, when we turn off Esmeralda trial and onto Ingalls way trail. The next couple miles climbed through the trees. Passing the turn to Longs Pass, the trail becomes mostly open to sun, crossing rocky areas, alpine flowers and trees. The Clarks Nutcracker birds were active, as well as Picas, chipmunks, and ground squirrels.

Reaching the saddle leading into the Headlight Basin, we had our first look at Mt Stuart (elevation 9400 ft). The Headlight Basin was awesome, much like a scene from the alp’s. From here there are two trail choices to head to Lake Ingalls. Trail 1390.2 drops into the basin, and then up the side meeting back up with the main trail. The second choice, 1390.1, went around the basin, staying higher and having less elevation loss and gain. We chose the upper route. The route we chose brought us upon 5 goats going in and 8 on our return plus crossed a few streams, short snow fields, meadows and many campsites. None of the goats were aggressive, but rather preferred to keep a safe distance of at least 20 feet.

After crossing the basin, we scrambled the final section of rocks to reach the view of Lake Ingalls. Dropping about 50 feet elevation to the lake, we made our way partially around to find a good lunch spot on the large smooth rocks with clear views of Mt Stuart.

Our total climb for this hike was 3100 feet, as determined from my altimeter.

Awesome hike today, with a variety of wildlife, wildflowers, varying terrains, and great scenes. Especially liked seeing the mountain goats up close and in the wild.

Bugs were out.

The trail to Lake Ingalls has several environments to experience as you acend to the lake, pine forrest, meadows, stark, nearly desert like landscapes, large boulders and the smooth sandstone rock that surrounds much of the lake. On the way up we saw one goat, a shaggy one, that also ended up at the lake. On the descent back we saw about eight. There did not seem to be any "problem" goats that day, but there were some real bothersome bugs.

We ran into a few short patches of snow that was a bit slick in the warming temperatures. The boulders as you approach the upper end of the trail required a bit of scrambling-trekking poles and hands on the boulders.

The signage at the trailhead kiosk seemed a bit confusing as it looked as though the trail was six miles and 2000 foot gain. The book, Day Hiking-Snoqualmie Region lists the hike more accurately at 9 miles and 2600 ft gain (plus 600 gain return trip)

We did this hike as an overnight backpack trip. The trail was quite crowded with other hikers, but most were day hikers, so we were able to find room to camp near the valley by the lake. The initial part of the hike climbs steadily over well-trod trail. The last mile or so gets rocky and it is easy to lose the path so keep your eye on those cairns. We saw many goats, but luckily they were not interested in us, and we made sure to keep our distance.

Great overnight hike. Trail to lake was well-maintained with many friendly day-hikers. Camped at Headlight Basin. Plenty of water and jaw-dropping views of Mt. Stuart. There were plenty of mountain goats, that kept to themselves and would leave the area with a polite "Shooo." Mosquitos were horrid. Bring loose fitting long-sleeves and pants and head-netting, if possible. Bug repellent is a must. Views are worth the itching.
Lake Ingalls had snow on the South and West side and the trail is accessible, just be careful. Water is frigid, but when it's 80+ degrees, a quick dip in the pond is "Oh-So" refreshing.

My new hiking buddy, Sean, and I hiked up the trail to Ingalls Lake through Headlight Basin, which has many goats that are not timid. They were not agressive, however. The lake was stunning on a perfect day. We hiked around the lake to Stuart Pass, and then tried to hike back on the opposite side of the lake unsuccessfully. We tried both the high an low routes and finally retraced our steps back around to where we started. We saw the outlet waterfall from the lake at a rock outcropping coming back from Stuart Pass. This must be the origin of Ingalls Creek. There were many day hikers on the trail and around the lake, but there was plenty of room for everyone. A nice breeze kept the bugs away all day.

A lovely quick overnight with a full moon, flowers, and plenty of mountain goats.

We got a late start on Saturday and left the parking lot at 3:30. The road is fine -- washboardy at the start but not bad.

We went up and up and up with a couple of stops for foot care (consider this foreshadowing). It was quite warm. The bugs were plentiful, but easily discouraged by DEET. We met plenty of people coming down from day hikes, and few with backpacks.

We didn't take time to look at all the campsites -- we just took the first one we saw on the upper trail in Headlight Basin. The basin was densly populated. The night was clear and bright with the full moon. Really lovely!

We saw the mountain goats visiting other campsites. Soon enough they came closer. They were fairly content to keep their distance, with some yelling and arm waving on our parts. It was my first close encounter with mountain goats and I was slightly disconcerted at their bravery.

Blister issues encouraged us to head back down without visiting the lake or the other side of the basin. Next time!

On the way down we saw some Cascade ground squirrels, hummingbirds, and lots of wildflowers. The huckleberries are starting to ripen along the bottom two miles of the trail.

http://www.flickr.com/[…]/photostream

Overnight trip with my 10-year old daughter to one of my favorite spots! Camped in Headlight Basin amongst the wandering campground hosts - the goats. Yes... the reports are true... While I would not label the goats as "aggressive", they are definitely habituated to humans and show no fear as they plop themselves in the middle of your campsite. Arm waving and shouting did not drive them away in our case. Staying 50 yards away as the USFS recommends was impossible as we were literally surrounded by them most of the time we were in our campsite. Numerous babies scampering around, bleating to Mom... very cute, but troubling to witness how used to people they're all getting. My personal thought is that this could be a big problem area in the not too far off future.

Definitely use the toilets or locate your potty-spot well away from ALL camps... not just your own. We witnessed first-hand a goat going after the ground wetted with recent urine and it was a kind of scary incident. The goats get really focused and it reminded me of seeing sharks in a feeding frenzy.

The basin is pretty much all melted out. There are snow patches here and there, but nothing to be concerned about and nothing that covers the trail - at least the lower trail into the camps and to the lake. The lake is now snow-free and 100% melted out, with lingering snow spots around the edge of the lake. The gully/route up to the notch below Ingalls Peak is still pretty snow covered and was pretty hard in the morning. If you're coming in for an early morning attack on the route up Ingalls, might want to consider crampons.

The bugs were definitely present in the basin, but nonexistent on the way up to Ingalls Pass from the trailhead.

Overall... great trip, but if you're going in overnight be prepared for very close-up contact with wildlife. For a day hike, depending on where the herd is, you might not even see them.

Before I get into details of our otherwise highly enjoyable hike, I have a rant.

STOCK AND DOGS ARE NOT ALLOWED in this area. There is a sign at the trailhead, there is a sign at the top of Ingalls Pass, and the rules are included with the material you get when you buy a forest pass. IT DOES NOT MATTER if your dog is on a leash, if your dog is a nice dog, or your horse is miniature. These are HIGHLY SENSITIVE areas. I love my dog. He's a wonderful creature, but he does not hike in off-limits areas. One guy we encountered cheerfully offered up that he knows dogs aren't allowed, "but he's on a leash." The sign pretty clearly read, "no dogs." It did not say "your nice dog on a leash is OK." Another group had a black lab running all over Headlight Basin. And you wonder why the goats are getting aggressive? If you treated my living room that disrespectfully, I'd be aggressive too! We also saw clear signs that horses had been up the Ingalls Way trail this year. Also not allowed. There are many, many beautiful areas where dogs and stock are allowed. Keep them in those areas. For all those who profess to love our wild areas, listen up -- play by the rules, or they will cease to be.

We were on the trail by 8:30 AM Thursday morning. The trail is in great shape, and it was a gorgeous day for a hike. We made it into Headlight basin crossing only a few soft snow fields. We chose not to go all the way to the lake. The official trail around the north end of the basin had a couple of treacherous-looking snow bridges (I checked them out from underneath, remembering how deep some of the drops are between boulders, and one bridge in particular just before the shooting star meadow looked OK right up to the end, where it thinned to about six inches, with an eight-foot drop into rocks and water below it). The older / wiser among us didn't want to scramble through boulders to avoid the snow bridges (it is possible), so we went back to the pass for lunch and then out.

There was a sign at the trailhead about aggressive goats, and we met one overnight backpacker on our way in who said she had not made it to the lake because of the goats, but the dozen or so we saw (beginning with a cute mom-and-baby pair at Ingalls Pass) were not aggressive, though they also clearly were not afraid of us.

There were lots of wildflowers - lupine, shooting starts, bluebells, monkshood, some sort of saxifrage, western butterweed, larkspur, paintbrush, columbine, scarlet gilia, elephant's head (in a meadow just below the pass on the way in), fleabane, and plenty more that we couldn't identify.

This high up, huckleberries are just now beginning to ripen, but blueberries are still small and green.

There was some snow on the trail coming down from the pass into Headlight Basin -- more than last year, but not insurmountable. There were also a few spots where snowmelt followed the trail. Naturally, there were mosquitoes and some biting flies, but nothing outrageous.

Our trip was marred only by the presence of dogs and the sign of horses. This is a big deal, folks.

My mom, dad, and I set out on the first Tuesday in August from the Boulder-De Roux trailhead for a four day (3 night) backpacking trip through trails in the Teanaway area. The weather was absolutely gorgeous and the wildflowers were stunning...the most I have ever seen on a hike!

Day 1: We started hiking at 9:30 up boulder-de roux to Gallagher Head Lake, stopping to take pictures in the many meadows. From the lake (which had abundant shooting star blooms along with some mosquitoes) we followed the jeep track for 1-ish miles to the fortune cookie pass trailhead. NOTE: when the jeep track splits (not shown on green trails map) stay to the right, and then continue going downhill after crossing a small stream. After the pass, we took the trail to Lake Ann. Only a small traverse of snow was required, and it was soft and very maneagable. The Lake itself was beautiful, with awesome reflections, meadows, and views. A stream of 10 horses and riders arrived in the evening from the outfitter, but they did a wonderful job of maintaining the peaceful atmosphere :) Mosquitoes were present, but not too worrisome.

Day 2: Starting at 9:30 again, hiked out of Ann and turned left on the Esmerelda Basin trail. Lots more wildflowers, and a beautiful hike in lovely weather. About 1/2 mile from the parking lot, we turned left up trail toward Lake Ingalls (labeled Ingalls Way Trail). Took the hot and exposed trail up to the saddle, then continued over snow (once again soft and easy to follow) towards the lake. The lake is starting to thaw, but the basin is still full of snow. An ice bridge that had been used to circumnavigate the lake on the right broke under a man and his son (neither of whom were hurt) and is no longer safe to use. The left side of the lake basin could be crossed with care, but, not having ice axes and not feeling in the life-risking mood, we descended a ways and camped on some rocks below the lake. We encountered many mountain goats near the lake. At first they had us a bit nervous, but by the end of the night, we realized they were unafraid, but also not agressive. Mosquitoes were rather thick.

Day 3: Broke camp and hiking by 7:11. After a leisurely breakfast in Headlight Basin and many pictures of goats, we decided to hike down the basin to Ingalls Creek Trail. After crossing the river and scouting around a bit, we emerged into the Ingalls Creek Valley. It was STUNNING. Amazing views of Stuart and its meadowed slopes. Wildflowers were everywhere and some almost as tall as me. The trail was very brushy in places, but SO worth it. We hiked a few miles and turned right on the Fourth Creek Trail. We ascended through lovely meadows and forest and LOTS of mosquitoes to the saddle at 5600ft. where we camped. Mosquitoes, mosquitoes, mosquitoes. We ate dinner as we literally ran around camp trying to avoid the voracious bugs and jumped in the tent at 6:30.

*NOTE: If anyone hikes up Fourth Creek Trail, could you please check for my Vibram Five Finger shoes? From the Fourth Creek/Hardscrabble junction, go NW maybe 50-100 yds up a small rise. You may see where we cleared a tent area. The shoes are grey and green and sitting on a tree (probably 4ft. off the ground) 20-ish ft. South of the tent area. You can contact me at mikeesl@hotmail.com Thanks!............

Day 4: For our final day, we skipped breakfast to avoid mosquitoes and started hiking at 7:15. We continued down Fourth Creek Trail, turned Right on trail 1391, and then took a left on Iron Peak trail 1399. Really interesting terrain up to Iron Pass. Lots of green rock and shale. The view from the pass was wonderful (Mt. Rainier, Mt. Adams?, the tip of Mt. Stuart, etc. etc.) and the mosquitoes less voracious, so we made coffee and took a rest before the final descent to the North Fork Teanaway road and the walk back to the car.

I was so pleased with the hike! Wildflowers were everywhere (queen anne's lace, shooting starts, penstemon, lupine, wild rose, indian paintbrush, avalanche lillies, and many more), snow was very minimal, and the views were spectacular. The main difficulty were the mosquitoes, but I suppose they are the price you must pay for such glory.

Gorgeous day and a stunning hike! The trail to Ingalls Pass is in great shape and views are spectacular once you read the top. Be mindful of the mountain goats. I was sitting on a rock eating my lunch and all of a sudden the mommy goat with her little one popped out of nowhere and started walking towards me (not aggressively, but I still opted to move away). PLEASE: respect nature and do not feed the goats. If you see someone doing this, remind them of this. Also, no dogs are allowed here (only saw 1 today).

Once you continue onward to the lake from the pass, there is still quite a bit of snow. Hiking poles are highly recommended here. Be careful in a few places there is postholing potential and the snow does go over quite a few small streams. Lake is still mostly snow covered but starting to thaw a little on the edges.

First off, I’m a beginner at hiking as well as overnight backpacking, so you can keep that in mind as I tell you about my experience. Oh, and by the way, I live in the First Hill neighborhood of Seattle, so I’m used to feeling like a mountain goat climbing Madison and Cherry. I wasn’t used to the weight of my pack (40-60lbs estimate), so that for me, was the hardest part. I thought the hike was great, challenging, but not too hard, and the trails were great! There were a few snow crossings on the way to Ingalls Pass, but nothing too bad (I didn’t even have hiking boots on, let alone, waterproof shoes-my shoes worked fine, but I’d recommend waterproof hiking boots). Once we got to Headlight Basin, we set up camp. There was a lot of snow up there still, and it took some diligent steps in the snow to make it across the basin. Poles would have made it better. The views were great however, and we experienced a number of curious mountain goats in our camp through the evening and into the morning. They weren’t aggressive, just curious. The scramble up to Ingalls Lake, from the Headlight Basin, was a bit precarious and very snow covered! The lake is still frozen over, but it was still a nice view. Bring sun glasses, as the snow is very bright in the sun! I’d also recommend extra pairs of socks in case yours gets wet from the snow. Over all, as my first overnight hike, I must admit that I loved it, and I didn’t think it was too challenging. That said, I was the second person in our group of 9 to reach the top, as well as to reach the bottom the next day. I’m an avid runner, and as previously stated, walk up some serious hills in Seattle pretty often. I hope that helps.

The trail up from the trailhead at is snow free up to Ingalls Pass, but the way is snow bound on the traverse of the Headlight Basin. Even though the basin and trail is covered in snow, the trail is easy to follow because it is so popular with the climbers and other hikers, making an obvious set of tracks to the lake.
The lake is also 100% snow covered.

So inspired by "the kid's" trail report, we braved the 3 hour drive for the promise of exciting new trail and wildlife. We were pleased with both. From Ingalls Pass, the basin is still about half snow-covered to the lake, which is mostly covered. The hike to the pass is destination enough, however, with wonderful trail and excellent views. We were especially thrilled at the opportunity to watch 7 mountain goats moving through.

An extremely agitated marmot began rapid and very loud alarm calls all around us. Baffled, we searched for the cause, just as an unleashed dog came trotting into view, 3 of his humans trailing behind. In the Alpine Lakes Wilderness. With "Dogs Prohibited" signs posted at the trailhead. Guide books and online sources also make this clear. The owner admitted awareness, but "not when we left Seattle..." blink, shrug, sheepish grin... So, instead of choosing another trail, they chose self-centered entitlement, dashing a rule they consider meaningless or beneath them, thereby invalidating the rule & its followers, and compromising a rare and pristine area.

Washington has a rich source of wildlife and wild places. Many, many people dedicate their time and energy daily to protect both. Wildlife behave differently or disappear entirely around dogs, which are a perceived threat simply by their scent-marking, predator status. With the vast majority of our hiking trails open to dogs, there is no excuse to violate the precious few that are not. If you find even this too stringent, then you probably do not belong out there at all.

Love your dogs, but love and respect our wildlife equally. When you see someone breaking the rules, let them know it is NOT OK. We all need to protect these treasures of ours.

driving over the pass i escaped the marine layer from the west. heading north on the teanaway road to roads' end and the trailhead i was basking in cool sunshine at 4200 feet. a short walk up from the trailhead i came to a junction and headed towards longs pass. after a 2 mile hike through pleasant woods i came to another junction to longs pass again. i opted to continue to ingalls pass since i was making good time and thought the views would be even better. looking back on the trail to longs pass i was happy with my decision as that trail skirted a steep hillside. passing through the meadows below ingalls pass i noticed several goats grazing. then i noticed some on the rocks ahead at the pass. upon arriving at the pass there were hikers and goats competing for space on the sunny boulders of the pass. the sign at the trailhead mentioned reports of aggressive goats but they weren't this day, passing by those who were eating, not seeking any handouts. the way to lake stuart was snow covered but there was were bootprints across it to the lake. content with the view from here of mt stuart i returned to the trailhead after my lunch.

Overall a pleasant experience. The trail leading to the first crest was clear and free of snow. The sky was clear, so the sun was intense. So make sure you wear ample sunscreen, even on a cloudy day. Because of some sporadic snow, the trail was hard to follow at the first crest, but it would be difficult to lose your way here since there are no trees. After the first crest, there was still a lot of snow. The trail crosses some pretty steep snow-covered slopes as it nears the lake, but the snow was wet enough that it was safe to traverse without an ice axe. There are a few boulder scrambles along the way. The lake was still completely frozen over. The goats seemed hungry, likely because of all the extra snow, so they hung pretty close to us the whole time. Beside the trail knuckle my fellow hiker left on the way back, the whole experience was enjoyable. I highly recommend this hike.

My friend and I wanted to hike to the ingalls lake to see how the conditions were. I was hoping to see lots of snow after reaching the pass [near the headlight basin].

The trail is clear of snow to atleast 2.5 miles. Somewhere around 0.5 miles before the pass, the trail is full of snow. A group of 3 hikers before us could not trace the trail around this point and were coming back. We wanted to see if we could go atleast till the pass since i had already hiked the place a few times before.

The cloudy conditions did not help us much. The views were beautiful along the trail. But the low clouds meant it was very hard to find where the pass was. We kept taking various side routes to see if we can find out something, but we were not lucky enough. Route finding skills are necessary at this point to reach the pass, and most probably to the lake as well. Take a GPS/compass/maps if you are planning for this. Its very likely that the trail would further be melted out by next week though.

Stunning vistas from the pass and en route to the lake. This is a fantastic trail. Trail is snow free almost all the way to pass. From pass to lake it is all snow travel. I wouldn't go beyond the pass without sturdy boots and poles, but traction devices are not needed. The lake is just starting to melt out around the edges, vivid deep blue color. Be careful en route to the lake especially around boulders as the snowfields are melting out and you can hear water rushing below in places.

Trip to Ingalls Pass - Final 5 miles of the road had fewer potholes compared to other years. It was sad to see that trees on the way to the trailhead were mostly gone due to on-going logging. I arrived around 7:40 AM and saw a few people waiting for others at the trailhead. It was a bit chill. The creek was full of water and very loud due to rapidly melting snow. Glacier lilies were blooming on the slope with patches of snow. Solid snow starts about a mile before Ingalls Pass. I put on the traction device and gaiters. I met a mountain goat and a baby at the pass. It was a clear blue sky and Mt. Rainier was visible behind Teanaway Peak. The group I met at the trailhead was heading toward Lake Ingalls. The trail from the pass to Lake Ingalls appeared to be covered with deep snow as you can see in one of my pics. I met a few groups of hikers on the way down. Some did not have traction devices and had hard time walking on wet snow. I noticed a couple of places with snow bridges. If you just follow others foot steps, you are OK. However, you should check the snow with trekking poles where you can hear the running water.

The dead weight in my pack was the flower book. The road to Esmeralda Basin is clear to the parking lot. But, 15 minutes up the basin and you're into solid snow. Glacier lillies abounded but not a whole lot else. I hiked up to Ingals Pass but didn't have the motivation to cross the snow to the lake. The snow is melting quickly but will remain for a good long time. The pass had an easy drop over to the north side. There was no cornice to contend with.

Don't forget the 'gaters and sunscreen.

We started the hike at around 9:30 and made it to the pass right after noon. The trail was mostly covered in snow and made for slow going in the high country. It was a beautiful view of Ingalls and the surrounding peaks! I would want to have an ice ax and snow shoes if venturing further from the pass though.

Spectacular hike! A cold, clear day but no snow; It was hard to believe that there was waist-deep snow at the lake a week later. Fantastic views of Mount Stuart from the pass and the lake. The larches were perhaps a bit past their prime but there was still plenty of glowing fall color. A great way to end the summer hiking season.

We encountered a few dozen other hikers enjoying the weather and views, and a number of tents despite the chilly overnight temperatures--we had looked at the weather forecast and decided to spend the night in a motel in Cle Elum. This hike was so beautiful we might bundle up and camp out at this time next year.

Arrived at the trailhead at about 11 am and found the parking lot full, with cars lining the road for quite a distance. Not surprising since it was a nice sunny day and everyone was out checking out the fall colors before winter arrives. Despite the number of cars, we managed to hike pretty much by ourselves before encountering hoards of hikers at Ingalls Pass. Stopped for lunch to soak in the warmth of the sun and the views. Luckily there was no wind, otherwise it would have been very chilly. The larches were past their peak color, especially at the highest elevation where most of the tress had lost their needles. But at bit further down in the basin there was still a lot of color left. The needles on the path softened the trail and in the shady spots there were half-frozen pools with needles encased in the ice. Didn't head out to the lake today because of our late arrival at the trailhead and wandering around the basin was fascinating anyway.

I started at 8:05am. Not many people at TH. I hiked up to Longs Pass. Great views of Mt. Stuart and Stuart Range, Esmeralda Peaks, and Mt. Rainier. I then started hiking the ridge north to Ingalls Pass. I hiked/scrambled up Peak 6878 then dropped down to Ingalls Pass and the wonderland of larch trees.

From there I hiked down the lower trail into the basin towards the campsites. Larch trees everywhere. I was snapping photos left and right. Then I heard a loud snap on my left. 3 Mountain goats. 2 adults and 1 young. Then more appeared. I guess I stumbled across the whole local herd. About 10-12 of them I think.

I then continued on, joined the main upper trail, and got to Lake Ingalls. Nobody else there yet. I then looked behind me at Ingalls Peak. Looked tempting. So up I went. I climbed up on the smooth ramp-like rocks until I had to drop into the boulder gully. I followed rock cairns and a faint path under a big rock outcropping and up the rocks to Dogtooth Spire and the top of the col. Great views behind me to the Lake and Mt. Stuart, and ahead of me to all the other mountains all the way out to Mt. Daniel and the Cascade Crest Peaks.

Now South Ingalls Peak is on the left (the north summit is strictly a climb). But there is a big rocky cliff-like thing that must be avoided by going around. I saw a big rock cairn under it on the left (do not go on back side of the mountain! Go around on the front side). I then climbed up some steep loose rock until I gained the top of the ridge. The summit was ahead and I went on up. 7640ft. Great views. Every mountain that the view has to offer was visible, from Mt. Adams to Mt. Baker. I went down the same route I went up. Make SURE you are going down the exact same way or else you may find yourself in a very scary situation (I started going down too early off the summit ridge and realized that I was only heading toward a cliff. Make sure you go down the correct way!)

From the lake, I took the main upper trail out. More good larch trees and I even saw some goats sunning themselves on a rock with Mt. Stuart in the background. Got some great pictures!

I made it back to the TH by 3:30ish. Pretty good considering I went up to Longs Pass, up and over Peak 6878 to Ingalls Pass, to Lake Ingalls, and up South Ingalls Peak, all while taking a total of 373 photos along the way. Too bad they are all to big to post with this trip report (I am not gonna take the time to downsize them).

Brooklake hikers (7 total) set out early at 6:30 AM for long drive from FWay to Ingalls Lake trailhead at the end of the N fork Teanaway River Road. Left rain behind after going over Snoqualmie Pass but ended up being socked in fog upon arrival at the trailhead. We hit trail at about 10 AM. Our group went from 7 to 6 when one first-time hiker decided to head back to car after a mile or so. Had book and said he'd be fine. Passed trail junction and stayed right (left went to Fortune Creek Pass) to Lake Ingalls/Longs Pass. Sign at this point stated dogs prohibited although another group hiked merrily past with their bulldog. Oh those awful rules and regulations! And the people with umbrellas some were even attached to their backpacks. I took a couple of playful jabs but hey, to each his/her own (the worst part was I think I saw more guys than gals with umbrellas). Anyway, it was foggy and there was a really slight mist but not enough to really get you that wet. The trail switchbacked up and we passed the turnoff to Long's Pass. Shortly thereafter we came to Ingalls Pass at about 6500 feet. This is where we first came upon the Larch/Tamarack trees turned their fall golden color. The timing was about perfect as we saw very little green left. In some areas the trail was a bed of yellow needles. Fortunately, this is also where the clouds began to open up. We had a fairly nice view of Mt Stuart ahead. Some of the slopes below were filled w/ the larch trees. We had lunch there. The trail was muddy and had water across in this area and we had 2 people in our group slip, but no major injuries. The area was rocky and muddy (and slippery). 2 of us decided to go on to Lake Ingalls. There is a trail up through the rocks that is marked well w/ numerous rock cairns, one of which might be the most rocks in a cairn I've ever seen. Eventually, there is one very short rock scramble and then you're up to a saddle where the lake comes into view. We lucked out, some of the folks coming down told us that visibility had been about 5 feet when they had been at the lake. But we could see the whole lake and most of Mt Stuart behind. Ingalls Peak was up to the left. There was a fairly large group of folks at the lake. There are numerous large rock slabs to climb up on and explore new angles/views. I noticed 2 yellow larch trees at the far end of the lake, otherwise none up there. We returned and met up with one of our group members about a couple miles from the trailhead. Got back to the cars and the rest of our group by just before 5 PM. Four of us stopped at McKean's Drive-In in Cle Elum on way back. Try the McGuire burger, great after a long day of hiking!

A great fall hike on an outstanding fall day - but beware the I-90 closings if going on a weekday soon!

Saw the forecast on Tuesday and decided a hike was in order, so went for this fall classic. Arrived at the trailhead at 11am to mid-50s temperatures and completely clear skies. The temperature warmed up a bit during the day and it was perfect t-shirt weather the whole time. At 11am, the parking lot was mostly full - but on a weekend day with similar weather I would have been parking at least half a mile down the road.

The trail was in perfect condition and there were virtually no muddy spots, which is rare for this trail at this time of year. There were no bugs. I spent ~2.5 hours up and ~1.5 hours down (rushing to make it before the I-90 closing, more on that below).

The larches are slightly past peak, but still have enough gold left to live up to their reputation. Along the trail up to the basin, there was much less color than in prior years.

There is currently blasting work being done on I-90 between Cle Elum and Snoqualmie Pass - they are closing the road every Mon-Thur afternoon at 6pm for at least an hour. Plan accordingly.

Tom and I and over 100 of our closest friends hiked to Ingalls Lake this day. A bit of a wait on I-90 for rock blasting made for a relatively late start (10:30 am) but we still had plenty of daylight to do the loop. Larches have not quite peaked, but still showing lots of gold. Cool but sunny skies. We hiked to the lake, then up slabs and rubble to the pass between North and South Ingalls. From this point we only saw half a dozen people, and most from a distance. From there we scrambled up South Ingalls and over to Fortune. Saw one goat on the east side of the ridge during our traverse to Fortune. Walked steep hardpack scree slopes off of Fortune and picked up the Esmerelda Basin trail for an easy walk out to the cars (6:30 pm). 3,900' elevation; 12 miles.

The trail is in great condition. Almost no bugs to speak of. Lots of people up on this trail this weekend. Saw 6-7 mountain goats around our camp. A lot of larches are yellow right now with a few still turning. Hiked up in about 3.5hr and down in 2.

Jim, my college roommate from over 40 years ago in Ohio, has been writing for a number of years that he wanted to come and see Washington State and this week he finally did it. His top priority, at age 65, was to go on his first backpack, preferably for 2 nights. I wanted to take him to a location that was spectacular yet fairly easy to get to and came up with Spider Meadows or Headlight Basin/Ingalls Lake. The weather forecast for the mountains was dismal leading up to his arrival and I was beginning to fear that it was going to be too wet for a backpack. Luckily, the weather improved a bit just before he arrived. I finally settled on Headlight Basin/Ingalls Lake as being the shorter drive and perhaps a little more stable weather. After a day hike on Sat (9/11) to Pinnacle Saddle on which he was actually able to see the Mountain, we headed out Sun morning for the Teanaway. As predicted, it was mostly cloudy and cool as we hiked in, but he made it up to Ingalls Pass just fine. We camped in one of the sites in the upper basin with great views of Mt Stuart & Ingalls Peak (if only we could have seen them). As far as I could tell, there were only 2 other parties in the basin & it seemed as if we had it all to ourselves. We had low clouds all afternoon & evening, but the next morning dawned clear and there was Mt Stuart in all its glory. After a very leisurely breakfast we headed over to Ingalls Lake and found a nice rock slab to sit on for lunch. Once again we seemed to have the place to ourselves and we probably spent 3 hrs soaking up the sun and the views before heading back to camp. The next morning was also sunny and we just lazed around camp catching up on old times. Then it was time to pack up and head over to Ingalls Pass for lunch with the distant view of Mt Rainier in one direction and Mt Stuart & Ingalls Peak in our lap in the other direction. Jim was able to get cell phone reception and called his wife back in Ohio to describe our “drab” lunch spot. Finally it was time to head back to the cars and the successful conclusion of Jim’s first backpack. We were fortunate to hit the window of good weather just right as the mountains (& even Yakima) socked in again the next day. Someone must be living right!

Lake Ingalls is another of those hikes where the destination appears only at the very end. Usually I call such hikes “destination hikes”, but this one does not really fall into that category; there are spectacular vistas, gorgeous wildflowers, sparkling serpentine rock, and stony, Yosemite-like vistas beginning right from the trailhead.

In fact, for me, the highlight of the trail is not Lake Ingalls itself (though it’s pretty spectacular in its own right), but the traverse of Headlight Basin, a vast bowl of sandstone and basalt punctuated with huge flower meadows that comes into view at Ingalls Pass.

Even the parking lot is scenic, sitting at the base of the Esmeralda peaks and bordered by the tumbling, sparkling headwaters of the North Fork Teanaway River. As you ascend up the trail, the whole river valley comes into view and, nearing the Long’s Pass trail junction, Mt. Rainier as well. Suddenly, as you wipe another pint of sweat from your brow, you reach Ingalls Pass and confront one of the finest sights in the Cascades, a top-to-bottom view of 9415’ Mt. Stuart and the entire Stuart Range. Down below, the deep Ingalls Creek valley stretches off to the vanishing point.

After staring open-mouthed at this gnarly granite masterpiece, thinking that it just doesn’t get any better, you begin the traverse of Headlight Basin, a unique area of glacier-polished sandstone and basalt that reminds me of Yosemite with its huge expanses of naked, sun-baked rock. In the middle of the basin sits one of those flower meadows unique to the Teanaway region, studded with acres and acres of beautiful and often rare wildflowers, some endemic to this area. Even this late in summer, there are still lots of flowers in bloom, including Scarlet Gilia, Mountain Bog Gentian, several species of asters, and many hard-to-identify “yellow Compositae”.

As you work your way around the cirque, the epic proportions of this basin slowly come into full view. The trail can be hard to follow over all this bare rock, but there are numerous rock cairns to lead the way. The last bit of trail involves some easy scrambling; you might as well put away the trekking poles, as they are little help here. Hands are the tool of choice.

Finally, as you top a small rise, Ingalls Lake comes into view. The azure-blue waters of this little lake form a stark contrast to all the yellow rock surrounding them, but the lake suffers a bit from the eye-catching environs – Mt. Stuart dominating the skyline, Jack Ridge to the left, Iron Peak to the right, and Ingalls Peak looming directly above at far left. It’s the perfect place to relax and enjoy the fruits of your (considerable) labors.

Some logistics: the long gravel road in was graded earlier this summer, so is in pretty good condition; but the stretch up to Beverly Creek campground was layered with gravel which has since turned into almost continuous washboarding. If you proceed at the right speed, you’ll skim over the tops, but beware – that’s the same speed where you lose almost all traction, so be wary, especially on downhills and curves.

Good water can be found at Headlight Creek in, mirabile dictu, Headlight Basin. Most of this trail is in direct sun, so bring sunscreen. DEET, however, is not worth carrying, since there are no biting bugs left this late in summer.

Road to TH is 23 miles. First 13 is asphalt, last 10 is gravel. Of the garvel the first 5 miles has significant washboarding, so beware. The lst 5 are good except intermitent potholes.

We, arrived at TH at 8:30 am for a chilly 39 degrees. The trail is in great shape. It is consistent up up not overly difficult. We reached Ingalls pass at 10 am. Saw great views of Rainer and Stuart along the way. This is one of the most beautiful hikes I have been on. I rate it a top 3. It has Streams, small waterfalls, meadows, excellent mountain views and of course the beautiful Lake Ingalls.

From the pass the Lake is roughly 1.5 miles. After a descent into so meadows, we climbed some difficult rocky passes. There are many Rock Cairns to guide you but there is no easy way to the last section to the lake.

Lake Ingalls was beautiful. It had warmed to about 65 degrees when we arrived. Still chilly with a breeze off the lake. No Bugs. We stayed for about a hour, had lunch and saw only one other party there.

On the way back, The views of Mt Rainer were spectular. Mt Adams could also be seen.

Only 3 or 4 other groups were head to the lake. We arrived back at the TH at 2pm

Total trip was 4.5hrs. I consider myself and my partners intermediate hikers. The trail I would consider difficult, mostly because of length, 11 miles.

Starting from the Ingall's Creek Convenience Center, with some of the most beautiful B&B style rooms anywhere, I pushed my pack up easy breezy Ingalls Creek about 10 1/2 miles to a nice camp at Fourth Creek, then zipped the rest of the way up to Stuart Pass, a sweet perch between handsome brown Ingalls Peak and rugged massive granitic Mt Stuart. After some poking around I capped off the day with a trip to Ingalls Lake, a rock rimmed beauty, stark and remote.

Day two began with a rock hop across Ingall Creek followed by a climb to the County Line trail atop Teanaway Ridge. A couple scenic miles of ridge running brought me after a false stop at a fake saddle (where I ate all my victory cookies) to Tooth Saddle and amazing views across the Ingalls valley at the full sweep of the Stuart Range. An amazing experience!

Lake ingalls, is a beautiful lake. This was our first time there. We saw three goats through out our trip. The weather was great, the sun was out some clouds and a bit windy... the best hiking weather, as the wind helped keep us cool. We combined this with longs pass, great views there too. The trail to Ingalls lake was busy, although while on our way to and from Longs pass we didnt pass anyone. Great day.

Beautiful day hike. Very crowded parking lot (shares with Esmeralda Basin), but once we got up over the ridge it was not as mobbed. Nice and cool - perfect hiking weather. Many wildflowers are still blooming. The drive through the Teanaway is reason enough to go: beautiful farms and forests, coyotes and other wildlife (including cows wandering on the road).

There are tons of bugs around the lake, but the approach is relatively bug free.

As a note: if you are trying to circumnavigate the lake the only good way to go is counter clockwise, but there is a fairly difficult rocky ledge area (stay low).

It is definitely worth going, but if you want solitude this is not the hike for you.

This is my first trip to Lake Ingalls as I figured that most of the snow on the trail should be melted by our warm weather in the last month. After turning into Teanaway Road from SR-970, I found the road newly paved with speed limit of mostly 50 miles/hour. The smooth pavement ends in 13 miles and then connects to the gravel road for almost 10 miles before the trail head is reached. The starting 4 miles of the gravel road are newly poured and pressed. It feels like washboard but there are no potholes. That is not the case after crossing the bridge. I had to slow down and swerve to negotiate quite a few of them. It took me just over 30 minutes to complete the gravel road.

The trail to Lake Ingalls is by now totally snow free except the access right next to the lake. It is also dry with only a couple of minor muddy spots in the Headlight Basin where they could easily be skipped over. The last part of the trail going up to the lake from the basin is harder to keep track. I found the numerous cairns helpful when I started to have question marks. As you may see in the picture, the beautiful lake is now totally snow/ice free. With the towering Mt. Stuart in the front and Ingalls Peak in the back, it has one of the best settings among the high alpine lakes.

As the snow just melted, the bugs are out in force especially in the basin with its moisture. With my repellent applied before the hike, I came out relatively unscathed even as I had to jump around in between taking pictures.

The wild flowers are starting to bloom but they are not quite as dense or spectacular as in lower elevation. I encountered mountain goats on the Ingalls Pass and next to the Ingalls Lake. As the other hikers reported, they are quite tame and would mind its own business (mostly grazing) if left alone. As usual, marmots were stationed at their preferred sentinel rocks getting sun tan.

With no dogs allowed on the trail and no camping by the lake, I met mostly day hikers on the trail. There were 6 vehicles in the parking lot at 10am. For an August Tuesday, the day trip is long from the Seattle area but quite enjoyable!

 

This was a truly lovely hike. We began running in to small amounts of snow by the trail approximately 85% of the way to the pass. After the pass we found much more snow on the trail and some route finding was necessary.

Campsites appeared to be largely snow covered.

In the bowl we saw 5-7 goats and marveled at the power of melting snow.

The lake itself is still 90% frozen and painfully beautiful.

The unpaved portion of the road to the trailhead is a minefield of relatively deep potholes. A couple of times my car bottomed out with such a thud that I was worried about serious damage.

The first half mile of trail is mostly free of snow. There's a nice variety of wildflowers along this stretch. Past here snow is constant and deep.
 
There's been sufficient traffic to mark the route to Ingalls Pass and press down the snow enough to prevent postholing for the most part. I punched through a couple of times however.

It was a lot colder at the pass than at the trailhead. It's still winter up there.

http://www.flickr.com/jasonracey

After searching the NOAA website for a chance of clear skies anywhere, we headed to Teanaway. The clouds were high and we had views of Stewart and the surrounding peaks on the way to the trailhead. We doned rain gear at 9:00 am as we started up the trail to Lake Ingalls. The plan was to summit South Ingalls. We encountered a few light rain showers most of the day but could still see the surrounding peaks in the area. We climbed to the saddle between north and south Ingalls then descended, calling it a day. The route to the summit of South Ingalls from the saddle looked a bit dicey. The snow was stable in the avalanche prone areas on the way to the saddle. Sun and blue sky offered itself just as we returned to Ingalls pass on the way out. Then black skies from the east took over and the heavier rain started (around 3:30). The trail to Lake Ingalls is snow covered starting about 1 mile from the trailhead. You can get to Ingalls pass by scrambling on the snow as a direct approach (many tracks). Wildflowers are blooming in many areas where the snow has receded. The lake is still frozen and snow covered. The views in this area are spectacular regardless of the season or weather offered. Very wet yet warm day and lots of soaking wet gear. We had a great time and made the best of a classic day in the Pacific Northwest.

Had a case of cabin fever, so I hopped in the car and headed for the sunnier side of the mountains. I had designs on Ingalls Lake, so to that end I hit the Esmeralda Basin trailhead at the end of the N. Fork Teanaway Road. The river is running high and wild, as one might expect for the early season. The snow starts shortly after the Ingalls Way turnoff, at around 4700'. From that point, it's pretty much a free-for-all - just keep going up on the (fairly firm) snow. There isn't much left - I'd wager that in another two or three weeks, it will be mostly gone. Due to some senior moments, I ended up higher up the mountain and further south than I needed to be to continue on the trail to Ingalls Pass (which turns bare shortly after the Longs Pass cutoff), so I said the hell with it and ended up doing a snow scramble up to Pt 6878 north of Longs Pass.

As mentioned previously, the snow coverage up to Longs Pass is thin but continuous, and firm enough in most places to only yield the occasional posthole. No snowshoes necessary. After arriving at Longs Pass, if continuing either direction on the County Line Divide, or heading west from Pt 6878 and onto Ingalls Pass, be *very* wary of the considerable cornices on the ridge. At one point, a ~20 foot wide chunk of cornice gave way not five feet from where I had been standing - and let me tell you, it's a long, long way down into the Ingalls Creek valley from up there. After topping 6878, I gave some thought to heading west toward Ingalls Pass and north up to the lake, but I was getting hungry and it was getting late. 2:00 up, 1:20 down, ~6 mi round trip and ~2600' elevation gain. The early season snow coverage and conditions made for slow going both up and down.

NB: the road is a lot potholier than I remember, so keep the speed down lest you leave important bits of your car strewn all over the road.

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

A chance day mid-week turned out to be a beautiful hike. The Teanaway road up to the Esmeralda trailhead is heavily potholed - especially the first 2 miles after 29 Pines campground. Up beyond Beverly Creek campground, the road is not too bad. From the trailhead to Ingalls pass is a very easy, gentle trail - almost lazy - with only one water seep up near the top which creates mud. The trail is absolutely clear of all obstacles and no snow. After the pass, the trail traverses a larch wonderland with huge views. The larches are brilliant gold, the meadows are kissed with winter's first frost, the rocks are stunning in all their colors and varieties, and Mt. Stuart looms majestically over all. We had to stop every 5 minutes to capture a photo or just admire in awe.

The trail comes down from the pass a bit rocky but soon enters meadow. There it is muddy. Beyond the meadow the trail traverses a rocky hillside. Watch for the cairns! They can be confusing because some indicate straight ahead while others indicate a turning. The trail descends through this rocky tumble and then up over a short, steep scramble to Ingalls Lake. There is no snow on any part of the trail. It is 4.5 miles to the lake from the trailhead which we completed in 3 hours. We returned down in 2.5 hours.

The lake itself is a large, rock bound tarn with Mt. Stuart for a backdrop. For me, it was more than matched by the beauties of the trail getting there.

This is a great hike to see the larch in all their glory right now. Even on the drive in you'll see fall colors. We also saw quite a few deer and a rafter of wild turkeys from the road. When you get to the trailhead and look up at the Teanaway Valley you won't see the larch, but be assured that they are plentiful on the other side of the pass. As you approach Lake Ingalls keep an eye out for the schist (at least we think it's schist) on the sides of some of the boulders -- it looks like smooth green marble or glass.

The trail is in good shape -- there are some muddy sections through the meadows on the other side of the pass.

Make sure you have a vehicle with high clearance and/or good shocks to handle the 19(?) miles of potholed gravel road to the trailhead.

It's definitely a great and suitable time to visit Lake ingalls now.. What a fantastic show by the larches!! The larches were all at peak color. With some light snow in the background, the place looked heavenly.

For the first 3 miles, there is not much fall show. The fun starts once we reach the pass where we first see a glimpse of Mt Stuart. From then on, the hike in the headlight basin is dreamy and heavenly. The larches were golden yellow.

Not many people yesterday probably because of the bad weather forecast, but it was a beautiful day. It did not rain at all, and we even had some blue skies from morning to afternoon.

The road to the trailhead [the last 10 miles] in the forest road 9737 was bad with lot of pot holes.

As per the trail conditions, the trail is in good shape. The only problem is once we reach the headlight basin. It can be snowy here. It was slippery yesterday due to the snow melt, and the last section of the trail requires one to carefully watch out for the cairns on the rocks...

The lake can be seen only at the very end of the trail after a scramble to the top. The lake itself was looking lovely with the reflection of stuart.

All in all, a great hike, and definitely NOW is the best time to go..

Decided to fit one last fall hike in before the snow hits the upper hills this week. Ingalls was a great choice but we sure didn't beat the snow. Only 4 cars at the trailhead. High clouds on the way in with all summits visible (including Stuart). We got to the lake in a couple of hours and then watched the clouds roll in and the snow flakes started to fall. The dusting of white that lasted for our entire trip down was beautiful. It added contrast to the existing fall colors, including the larch. Plenty of goats on the way in but I think they found shelter during the flurries because they left their high rocky perch. Lovely day....but very cold. The rocks were getting slick and the basin/camp area is frozen and preparing for winter. Ahhh...the change of seasons.

Originally I had planned a larch backpacking trip this weekend. Changes left me alone and I decided to join Gary and Paul for another day trip to Ingalls Lake instead. Forecast was mostly sunny and very cold. Cold as in high teens overnight and high twentys during the day. We met at Eastgate P&R at 6:30 am and headed east. It was cloudy in Seattle and the clouds remained all the way up the NF Teanaway Road to the Ingalls trailhead. Not what we were expecting. We planned on backlit larch trees and blue sky. We had white sky and a few snow flakes.

We were on the trail at 8:35 am. There were "only" 23 cars in the lot when we started. It was cold but with the clouds it was not as cold as expected. Still, within a mile up the trail my baseball cap was exchanged or a wool hat. Light gloves were replaced with heavy fingerless mitts. There are some red berry leaves down low but with no sun they were dull. We passed the Longs Pass junction and headed higher. Inevitably we ran into a few other groups heading up.

We reached Ingalls Pass a little after 10:00. The larch trees start right at the pass. The real action is across the ridge in Headlight Basin. At the pass I realized my camera was taking black photos. I had this problem with my dslr early in the year but not since. Thousands of larch and no camera! My worst nightmare. I played with it, warmed it, changed settings, and managed to get it to work most of the time. I had more than thirty ruined black shots but managed to coax 230 good shots out of it. It was frustrating but not a disaster.

Although there was snow a few weeks earlier there was almost none left. A few small patches near the pass and some short icy spots on the trail just across the pass. After that there was no snow left. A short hike through rocks brought us to the upper basin. Larch are a mix of a few past prime, many at peak, and a number from green to light yellow. Looking down to the lower basin many trees are still green. Two years ago Gary and I took the high route to the lake then the low trail back to the pass. This year the best bet was to stay high.

Paul had been to Ingalls Pass but never at larch time. He was in for a treat. The white sky blocked sun from lighting up the larch trees. On the other hand it did bring out some nice colors though a little muted. Our hope was to take our time photographing larch trees for our enjoyment and to waste enough time that we might still be around to see some afternoon sunshine. The goal was not to have to sit around waiting from sun while we froze.

There were a number of tents visible. We spotted a group of a dozen Mountaineer Naturalists hikers Gary had mentioned were going to be on the trail. Those folks were loudly discussing other folks who had a campfire though numerous signs forbid it. There is precious little wood in this high meadow. We were not pleased either. Short detours brought us to some excellent groves of larch trees. Enough were at their peak to provide a great display. In about a week the overall display should be at its best.

We found another old fire pit and them the outhouse. About then a group of a dozen scramblers passed us heading up Fortune and South Ingalls. Seemed like a waste to spend the day up high when the best views were down in the basin. Soon we were back on route heading for Ingalls Lake. many more folks were now on the trail. It seemed like the trail to Mt. Si with folks everywhere. We reached the lake just after 12:00 pm. We put on what clothing was left in our packs and had lunch. The clouds were still thick but at least high enough to be above Mt. Stuart.

After lunch we headed around the lake to the right. Up and over the rock and down to the shore again. Gary and I had come through here in 2007 but did not have time to explore. This time we went all the way to the far end of the lake. We had a nice view over to Goat Pass and the west ridge of Mt. Stuart. Looking back I counted about 50 people around the lake including us. It was nice to be well away from most all of them.

As we came back around to the trail we could see over 20 folks leaving the lake at one time. From our vantage point they were spread out on the trail below the lake. We had a different idea. We headed back at a slow pace hoping that just maybe there would be a sliver of sunlight on the larch trees in the upper basin. It was near 3:00 pm when we reached the larch forest and the sky was still white. It looked like patience would not pay off this time.

Gary noticed a small blue patch. It seemed to grow. A few minutes later there was a thin ray of sunlight. A few larch were lit up. A little later there was some more sun. All at once half the sky cleared. It happened within just a few minutes. Those who left the lake and hiked straight back missed the real show. Big stands of larch went form dull yellow to blazing orange. We probably took half our photos in a 20 minute time frame. Patience did pay off in a big way. In the sun the temperature seemed to go from frigid to just plain cold. From mid winter back to late fall. The larch trees were not as close to peak as we had in 2007 but they were plenty good.

The sun does not climb far above the ridge top this time of year. It was now almost ready to drop back below the ridge. It was time to go. We hiked back to the pass in the cold shade and across the pass picked up the sun once again. It was almost 4:30 when we left Ingalls Pass, some 8 hours since we started. We enjoyed the sun part way down then dropped back into winter again. The parking lot is wedged under the bulk of Esmerelda Peaks and I doubt it get more than a few hours of sunshine this time of year. A little before 6:00 pm we reached the end of the trail. There were only 13 cars left in the lot but almost that many parked well down the road.

We had dinner in Cle Elum and by 8:00 pm the feared traffic jam on the one open lane west bound never materialized. We sailed though at the speed limit. I was home by 9:30 pm. We had high hopes for sun and peaking larch this day. We then were a little disappointed by the thick clouds. In the end we had the sun we expected and plenty of golden larch. The larch season is short and we were very pleased with our day in the mountains.

45 photos have been posted at: http://www.hikingnorthwest.com. Go to "Trips-2009" on the left margin.

The larch are nearing their peak and the crowds were out to enjoy but plenty of room for all to enjoy.

Day started cold and gray with fine scattered snow falling but was no issue. Some ice on the trail in a few shady spots after the pass, but with care not an issue; otherwise trail in good shape. Day ended with blue skies and a blaze of color.

Views are hard to beat. Well worth the cool and crowd.

Wanting to get out on a sunny, but cool day, we decided to try Ingalls Lake. The weather could not have been better as we hiked up. Lots of sun but not too hot. There were small patches of snow going up but nothing too hard to navigate if you have hiking poles.

When we got to Ingalls Pass, we were treated to some spectacular views of Mt. Stuart. The larches are just starting to turn and look fabulous. I bet in a week or two they will be at their best.

The trail from the pass to Lake Ingalls had some snow and some icy sections. Again if you have boots and hiking poles its really easy to navigate. Lake Ingalls was beautiful as ever and the views there were equally stunning.

Navigating over the rocks to get to our lunch spot was hindered by the light dusting of snow so be careful!

Monday was a perfect day on the east side of the Cascades for a hike to Lake Ingalls near Mt Stuart. It takes about 60 mins from the I90 Cle Elum Exit 85 to the trailhead including the 9mi of pot-holed dirt road. The trailhead is very large and has a outhouse. Esmeralda Peak is nearby and will be with you all the way to Ingalls Pass. The trail is very good up to the Pass and once you are near the Pass you can have a fine view of Mount Rainier and a far view of Mt Adams on a clear day on the west side and to the east you have a fantastic view of Mt Stuart but Lake Ingalls will remain hidden until the very end of the trail. The trees are sparse compared to trails on the west side of the Cascade. The trail on the other side of the Pass is visible for most of the hike except for the more rocky portion where cairns help to mark the way; take your time to locate the cairns and you will lose less time trying to find the trail. There a very few flowers at this time of year but marmot whistles will accompany you on much of the trail from the Pass and if you are lucky, you will see one sunning on top of a rock or you may see pica scurrying among the rocks. The view at Lake Ingalls is stark: the bluish water surrounded by stone walls, Ingalls Peak and at east end: Mt Stuart dominates. It took me about 3.5 hrs for about 4.5 miles from the trailhead to the lake. Very few bugs.

The Ingalls trail was hot and dusty. Aside from the lake itself and the creek at the trail head, there are no real water sources anywhere between the start and finish. There's also very little shade on this trail and you're in the sun the entire time. So bring lots of water.

Once you reach the top of the ridge, there's two ways to get to the lake. You can go left and go along a trail that runs around the edge of the mountain, or you can go straight over and down into the camp areas. The route down through the camp areas is much more difficult. Specifically, when going back up towards the lake. If it were any steeper, I might consider it to be light boulder scrambling. The trail is also more difficult to follow. Just keep an eye out for the cairns and keep moving up.

Lake Ingalls had a lot to live up to based on the pictures on wta.org, and it didn’t disappoint.

We left Seattle at 8:00am and arrived in the parking lot a little over two and a half hours later. At the trailhead, there is a small eating area that overlooks a small multi-tiered falls; we dawdled a moment but were soon on our way. The trail climbs steadily and reaches the first junction at which you take the trail to the left and continue upwards. It’s clear that the path to Engalls Pass is heavily travelled, both from the number of cars in the lot and the dusty, pounded condition of the trail. After staying left at the junction with Longs Pass trail, we climbed another hour or so and reached the top of Engalls Pass. To the Southwest, through a conveniently located saddle on the next ridge, Mt. Rainier is impossible to miss. On a clear day, you can see Mt. Adams as well.

From Engalls Pass, there are two routes to choose from. The first, and longest, continues around the basin to the East - this is the only trail marked on Green Trails Map 209. However, a shorter route exists – simply find the trail that leads directly North from the pass, down into the Headlight Creek Basin. This route accesses some of the only campsites not “closed for restoration.”

No matter which route you take, you end up at the junction on the North side of the Headlight Creek Basin. Follow the trail to the Northeast that climbs over the ridge and finally arrives at Lake Engalls. No camping is allowed at the lake, although the comings and goings of other hikers would probably be enough to discourage most backpackers. Honestly, this area is not ideal for anyone seeking solitude, but the panoramic views of Engalls Peak and Mt. Stuart are spectacular. Experienced hikers can scramble up the South Ingalls Peak, and also up the unnamed ridge directly east of Lake Engalls. (The route up is the goat path on the East side.)

There were mosquitoes at dawn and dusk, and some large biting flies during the day. A very cold breeze blew through the valley and at the lake the entire time we were there, and at night the mercury almost touches freezing, so be prepared.

The trail to and from Lake Engalls is indeed heavily used, and may soon see the implementation of the permit system much like The Enchantments area directly NE, so go see it soon.

Beautiful day for this trail. Not too busy with people. We saw so much wildlife: several pikas, marmots, mountain goats, chipmunks and an unidentified bird of prey, not to mention dozens of songbirds and grasshoppers that sound like sprinklers when they fly.

As you get over the pass, follow the human-made stacks of rocks to the lake. We got off trail a couple of times, but just looked for the stacks of rocks. Seems like the lake is never coming, but push on as it's very much worth the climb.

It was a sunny, cloudless, 75-degree day, but the wind was chilly, especially by the lake, so be sure to bring layers. Still some prime wildlflowers here and there.

We arrived at the trailhead about 11:30 am, which put us back home in Seattle by 9 pm after hiking and hitting Sunday night I-90 traffic. Reccommend getting there earlier, if going on a Sunday.

Lake Ingalls 8-20-09 Hike #70
So today I thought I would check out this hike in preparation for an Oct trip with BC. I printed out some directions from WTA site.. they were a bit too generic for me and I got lost a few times, but managed to find the TH after 3 hours (from my house)..Got a late start hiking at 9:00. I wasn’t sure what to expect except a beautiful lake and Mt. Stuart views. With 2,600 elevation and 9 miles, I underestimated this hike. The first two miles were easy enough, then came the next 2.5, the hard part. It was getting hotter by the hour. I figured it would be in the 80’s today, the hottest I’ve ever hiked was Townsend and it was 90 and I got sick from heat. Today when I got back to my car it was 97 and I felt that same nauseous feeling!
I kept hoping I could see the lake so I knew how much longer it was going to be..I had no idea which way it was, and there was not a lot of people around to ask so I just had to figure it out.. cairns helped me ultimately reach the lake. At each sign I was like okay, almost there, hang on you can do it.. just around another bend..you drove 3 hours get to the damm lake!
Then I finally arrived, I threw off my boots as fast as I could and got into the water. It was so cold and refreshing. I didn’t stay long because it too me 4 hours to reach the lake and I always call my husband by 4ish to check in and it was going to be after that by the time I got back to my car then 20 miles to cell reception. I didn’t want him to worry I’d fallen off a cliff somewhere. So after 20 mins of cooling off I headed back. More boulder climbing and stair stepping and HOT weather.. my skin was fried at this point and I had 2-4 blisters I could feel. I laid down on a couple of cool rocks in the shade several times. That helped, then what I dread happened, I ran out of water and still had over 2 miles to go back to car.. Not a soul in site. I dreamed someone would come by and give me a sip of water.. but no such luck. I suffered and made it back to the car in only 3 hours, downed some warm water, yum!
So, the story is I’m glad I went, amazing views in a new area. But I really think this one is out of my comfort level and I’m pretty sure I won’t be back. I’m burned, blistered, knees killing me, tomorrow I’m sure I won’t be able to move. You think after 69 hikes this year it would get easier? But yeah, not so much. Sorry for all the complaining, I don’t normally do this. Hope you enjoy the eye candy, I’m saying it was worth the work.