- If you lost a leather climbers glove on the Longs Pass trail, I found it. Comment below and I will return it to you.
- If you know where I can read more about the old 1930s-era miners' road that climbed up to Longs Pass, point me in the right direction, please.
- Drones are not allowed in the Alpine Lakes Wilderness, including Lake Ingalls. Stop bringing them here. No really, the rules apply to you, too. Don't bring your drone. It's annoying.
- Expect to encounter many people on the Ingalls Way trail, even on a weekday. Have a mask and be ready to put it on quickly, or kindly step at least six feet away and let other pass.
- Expect the parking area to be full this time of year, even on a weekday; and please be considerate of others when you park. Don't be like the “truck with hitch person” who boxed me in.
Despite the drone and discovering the annoying parking job when I got back to my car, this is still my “happy place” lollipop loop hike. I do this as a counterclockwise hike and the route features a mix of good trail with annoying crumbling scree and stumbling rocks. If I take the backdoor route to Lake Ingalls, I am almost always guaranteed periods of solitude and I spent a blissful three hours in complete solitude along Ingalls Creek trail. The geology here is fascinating, from the 93 million year old Stuart Range to the 153 million year old serpentinite surrounding Lake Ingalls. Take that, 40 million year old Cascade Range!
FR 9737 is in good condition, with the usual stretches of washboarding here and there and an occasional surprise pothole. Compared to some prior years, the road is quite good. Yay, Cle Elum Ranger District!
Longs Pass trail is in good shape to the pass, then degrades as you descend to Ingalls Creek with passages of crumbling rock, rock-laden stream beds, and annoying windfall trees as you approach the creek. The foot log over the creek is solid. Ingalls Creek trail is a wildflower paradise! Watch your step as the trail is sometimes hidden under those beautiful flowers. The intersection of the Ingalls Creek and Ingalls Way trails is not marked; just be on the lookout for a trail splitting off due west at around 6,270 ft. elevation. The route around the lake is not always obvious. The path south from the lake is well-worn or well-marked.
Total distance: 11.65 mi.
Total elevation gain: 3,650 ft.
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