FOUND in Headlight Basin in fall 2024 - small micro SD chip in a small clear cases (size of a quarter). Chip looks to be from a phone or camera. Reply if you lost one! 

Annual fall hike to Lake Ingalls.

Summary: Larches are past peak, but still lovely. Trail is easy to follow until the short scramble to the lake, and even that is not bad with some route-finding skills. There are few obstacles and very little snow all along the trail. Be prepared sudden weather changes.

Arrived at TH around 11:00 AM, and the lot was almost full. The road is in great condition with minor washboard areas.  

The weather couldn't make up its mind switching back and forth from sunny to cloudy snd breezy to sudden drops in temperature followed by snowfall, and back to sunny. I was glad I came prepared with all the appropriate clothing layers.

Lovely steady uphill hike to Ingalls Pass, with all the fall colors. The views from the pass were expansive, even with the clouds. The Larches are yellow to brown, and actively dropping needles in the breeze.

Heading down into the bowl there was a little snow and ice between rocks, and on the sides of the trail, but microspikes were not needed, just carefull stepping and planning. The temperature dropped in the afternoon, and there was a little snowfall so that the trail was a bit icier heading back.

Easy to follow the trail until the final rock scramble over to the lake. The easier route turns northwest shortly after crossing Headlight Creek and the intersection with the Ingalls Way alternate trail. There is a small stream that the route follows most of the way up and over. Don't be fooled by the trail that continues east. You can get to the lake that way, but it's more confusing. Trust me I've done it several times.

The final approach to the lake was slushy and slippery, but microspikes would not have helped, especially on the bare rock.

The Lake was beautiful with Stewart mostly hidden by clouds. A sudden drop in temperature followed by wind and snow cut my lunch short, so I layered up and headed back.

The hike back was uneventful except the short section back up to Ingalls Pass was icier because of the new snow and decreased temperature. 

There were several more cars in the lot when I returned. I saw about 30 people over the entire trail and 8 others at the lake, busier than I expected for a weekday after peak larches.

Bottom Line:

Perhaps the last of the beautiful sunny snow-free days of this year (?) The larches are just past peak and starting to drop their needles. There are a few yellow-green larches high up in the basin, but most are transitioning from golden to brown. The basin is beautiful with yellows, oranges and reds, and in stark contrast to the snow-free surrounding peaks. It was a busy day for sure, but not in a way that was bothersome (except perhaps at the lake).

Stats:

• Distance: ~10 miles
• Vertical: 3200 ft
• Duration: ~5 hours
• Road/Parking: NF-9737 is in good condition and doable by any car - just dusty with some washboard surfaces (CAUTION: tight spots where one has to yield to opposing traffic). Small trailhead parking lot was full with overflow parking about 1/4-mile down the road, even at 9am. The late afternoon color on the drive back to Hwy 97 was simply stunning - this drive would be worth it even without the hike!!
• Weather: Sunny, with increasing cloud, becoming mostly cloudy. 40-60Fs. Light wind, and "golden larch needle flurries" in the alpine. Warm in the sunshine, but most folks were bundled up at the lake. It got cooler as clouds started to build into the afternoon. A fire popped up to the southeast in the afternoon, beyond Esmeralda Peaks, just as it got quite breezy. Never heard what that was but could also see from I-90.
• Water: There is water for filtering in Headlight Basin and at the lake, but I would carry some water for the dry ascent where most creeks are dry. 
• Larches: Just past peak, but beautiful and consistent at all elevations. They might look a little "spent" with direct lighting, but still great when back-lit. The best way to see all the larches is a loop out of Ingalls Pass where you will need to choose clockwise or counterclockwise, thinking about what the sun is going to do - it will descend over the peaks and cast shadows into the basin in the afternoon. I went clockwise, but that meant looking back into the larches on the way out.
• Trail: I love this trail. Moderate, varied and BEAUTIFUL. First the dry ascent on the front side through golden meadows with varied mountain views, from the Esmeralda Peaks to the south (goats in the distance), to the iron-red peaks up near Ingalls Pass. Good fall color lower and upper front side. Reaching Ingalls Pass, the landscape transforms into one of golden color, with larches filling the basin, red/brown/orange rock, and the yellow/gold meadows of Headlight Basin. Hiked up the basin above the tree-line (pics in video) for panoramic views of the whole area. The ascent to Ingalls Lake is a mild scramble just to offer a little more variety on this hike, and the "infinity pool" that is Ingalls Lake with a Mt Stuart backdrop remains out of this world. Until a snowy ascent next spring... :) NOTE: No dogs on this trail due to the goat population. 
• Takeaway: The timing was just about perfect for a fall hike, without too many people. I keep thinking to myself that this is almost the perfect hike, with a beautiful trail the whole way (the ascent out of the trailhead was great with golden grasses, widely-spaced trees and fall color), two loop combinations, and a lot of side-country for exploring. The highlight was the journey today rather than the usual lake views... stunning, but perhaps overshadowed by the seasonal color today!

I will try to post a video from this hike later today ;)

Arrived at the parking lot at 10:30 and managed to park 0.9 miles away from the trailhead. There were some spots higher up but the parking situation was rough when we arrived and due to cars attempting to leave, we had to start backing down the road as there was no place to turn around. 

Trail was busy but everyone was practicing good hiking etiquette and most hikers stepped aside to allow the uphill hikers to pass. Started making our way down around 2pm and most people had gone. Saw a few dogs, and at least one at the very top, past the sign that said no dogs allowed. 

Larches were beautiful! They felt to be at peak, or slightly past. The Ingalls Pass area is a really good stopping point for anyone interested in the fall foliage. Very good views, and you can hear the pikas screaming in the background. I think most people stopped here, and I would recommend it as well. 

We chose to continue on to the lake, and while I'm glad we did for completion sake, I wouldn't recommend. After Ingalls Pass, we took the left fork and spent the next 1 - 1.5 miles scrambling around rocks and attempting to find the trail up to the lake. The very last quarter mile is truly just rock scrambling, which I did not like, and the views at the lake were not as good as they are at the pass. 

Apple Watch final stats: 8.9 miles; 2,850 feet elevation gain; averaged a 30min/mile pace

TLDR: larches are poppin off. Get here early (before 7:30am) for larch season, camp on the far side of the lake if you’re doing an overnight.

Road to Trailhead: few washboards but you can make it up here with a low clearance vehicle.

Cars at Trailhead: arrived at 8:30am on Sunday (Monday was a holiday). Parking was bananas. Highly recommend getting here before 7:30am. Prepare to park on the side of the road and walk regardless. We were 0.5 miles from trailhead.

The hike: larches are visible once you hit Ingalls Pass. Recommend doing both the higher and lower routes to/from Ingalls Pass to Ingalls Lake. Lake is incredible. Highly recommend just taking another 15 mins to get to the far side and having the place to yourself. Took 3 hours to get to lake.

Water: barely a few running streams up top. Would recommend just packing everything you need.

Camp: you cannot camp at Ingalls lake. Once past the sign you’re good to go. We camped on the far side of the lake and had nobody around us, even on a busy holiday night. Continue down into the valley below Mount Stuart along Ingalls Creek trail and make this a crowd-free loop.