On a whim we decided to hike up the Bear Gap trail and visit Henskin lake for a lunchtime hike. The road to the Bear Gap trailhead is rocky and unenjoyable for the first 1/4 mile, even in a high clearance vehicle. After then it becomes a nicer dirt road. We did manage to pop a truck tire within 100 yards of the highway on our way out, so some of the rocks on the bad section are SHARP!
Even having been to the Bear Gap trailhead before, we got confused at the "limited trailer turnaround" sign. At this sign go RIGHT and park, and get your permit. Then go back and hike the road with the sign. There is a small parking area up that road if you feel lucky, but you better feel comfortable turning around in tight quarters if you risk it.
The trail itself was in good shape. Look for the "TRAIL ->" sign off the dirt road as it starts to get brushy. This trail is pretty brutal, preferring steep sections to switchbacks. Better measured in feet of elevation gained vs. miles of trail. It was a nice departure from the Sheep Lake crowds, and we only saw 2 groups on the Bear Gap trail sections. The dry side of the mountain was beautiful and had entirely different wildflowers than the wet side. There are still a few small snow fields on way to Henskin lake but they were easy to cross.
Henskin lake was a bit crowded. Our impromptu hike planning didn't include seeing that it can be accessed via Ski Lift. Was still a good spot with some small trout jumping and a nice view for lunch. A few bugs, but not enough to worry about. After lunch we reversed course and went back over and down.
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