I started my solo hike much later than I wanted to, around 12noon. The Rachel Lake trailhead lot was full but there are plenty of spots to park down the road. I did not encounter a huge number of hikers on trail, and the hike was super easy for the first couple of miles. After that, the last mile up to Rachel Lake was fairly strenuous for two reasons: elevation gain and basically hiking off and on through a creek. Rock hopping and/or stepping in a bit of water is necessary. I enjoyed that about this hike, especially the many very accessible waterfalls that I passed. No need to carry a lot of water if you're carrying a filter. I started seeing a few snowfields as I neared Rachel Lake, and the Lake was beautiful, a truly great destination for camping.
However, there were a number of campers, so based on the report of a couple hikers I passed I decided to press on to Rampart Lakes for a little more privacy. Immediately, I made my way across a snowfield to the switchbacks that take you up the ridge and above Rachel Lake. If you stay at the Lake, you really should head up this ridge just for the views of Rachel Lake from above.
From here to Rampart Lakes I hiked across mostly hard packed snow fields (no extra traction necessary), following footprints and Gaia maps until I reached the first lake and a camper. I continued on until the very end of Rampart Lakes where I found a nice camping spot on a rock next to a tree. There were a handful of campers there.
I encountered my first rangers in the wild! They walked through the area in the morning and I noticed them dismantling the freshly used fire pit of one of my neighbors. They wanted to know if I had a fire pit ( I did not) and they wanted to know if I had filled out a permit at the trailhead. I believe it reached the mid-30's at night, but overall a very nice experience. It took me a few hours to hike out.
Comments