Sweet Caroline, set high in a hidden basin between 7996-foot Eightmile Mountain and 8501-foot Cashmere Mountain, will no doubt have you singing (Neil Diamond or other) tunes from its peaceful shoreline. But you'll probably be muttering some not-so-sweet things as you toil up the steep and hot trail to reach it. There's a reason why Lake Caroline receives only a fraction of the visitors that the nearby alpine lakes do. Such is the price for solitude in the land of the Enchantments.

Start on the Eightmile Lake Trail, climbing steadily at first up open slopes scorched by forest fire in the 1990s. At 1 mile or so enter the Alpine Lakes Wilderness and continue on a more gentle incline, paralleling Eightmile Creek. At 2.8 miles, just after passing the fraction of a pond, Little Eightmile Lake, come to a signed junction (elev. 4450 ft). The trail straight ahead continues 0.5 mile to beautiful, big Eightmile Lake. Take the trail right, the one less traveled.

Brushy at times and sizzling when the sun is shining, the way climbs steeply, switchbacking up slopes that are slowly recovering from the big burn of 1994. Views increase with elevation gain: Little Eightmile Lake, then Eightmile Lake, then the Stuart Range and Enchantment peaks.

At about 4 miles cross a few small creeks (elev. 5350 ft) before traversing a grove of silver snags. After passing by some sandstone boulders, the grade eases and the way slowly transitions into unburnt territory. A series of meadows teeming with birdlife and more than likely a few mammals too is a welcome sight. Pass patches of whitebark pine, and where there's Pinus albicaulis there are Clark's nutcrackers.

At about 5.5 miles reach a small "pass" (elev. 6300 ft). Then drop quickly and steeply under a cool forest canopy, reaching Caroline Lake (elev. 6190 ft) in about 0.25 mile. Set in a semi-open bowl, the lake sports big sun-kissed logs on its shallow north shore-good posts for gazing and grazing. Watch the fish jump. They're loving the bugs you're not!