Lake Ingalls — Monday, Sep. 28, 2020

This last Monday, I solo hiked the Lake Ingalls Trail to experience the golden larches in Headlight Basin and check out Lake Ingalls. Arriving at the trailhead at 8:00 am it was chilly 37 degrees. The trail was damp in the early morning and the upper sections near the pass had actively flowing water and some sections were muddy. Otherwise, no problems. After Ingalls Pass, I traversed across the talus and dropped into Headlight Basin and continued along the trail to the scramble up to Lake Ingalls. It was a brilliant sunny day with no wind and a few young hikers were swimming in the lake as the day rapidly warmed up. Even if you have been to Lake Ingalls before the route across the rocky slopes to the scramble can be confusing and it can be easy to get off route. If in doubt, stop and look for cairns. They will guide you.

As an earlier trip report mentioned the larches are just starting to turn. That being said, many are already a brilliant shimmering yellow gold. I found more concentration of the golden larches in the areas in the basin near Headlight Creek. They will probably be at peak gold in a couple of weeks. In my opinion, Headlight Basin is the real star of this hike, more so than Lake Ingalls, which is still spectacular. I love this hike for the diversity of scenery and the fact that while ascending through stands of trees in the early sections of the hike the trees are spaced well apart and allow views, thus creating a much more expansive feeling than the dense forest sections of the Snoqualmie Pass hikes.

While I saw a grouse in the lower trail, and the occasional ground squirrel, I did not see any deer in the woods, or goats at the pass or at the lake as I have previously. An over night hiker told me that it was a very crowded weekend and concluded that the people activity may have put them off. I have seen the goats, and close up, on prior mid-week trips several times in the past.

The first section of the forest road up to the bridge is graveled with significant washboard, and not pleasant. After the bridge, the road is packed dirt with lots of potholes and occasional washboard thrown in. Any car can make it but you have to drive carefully. And of course, you will encounter dappled forest light in both directions, which I call pothole camo. Unlike previous trips, I encountered no cows or wild turkeys crossing the road. The parking lot was about half full when I arrived and packed with cars parked on both sides of the road for some distance down the road when I departed in the afternoon. The trail was busy, not so much in the early morning but from late morning onward. I’d estimate about 50-60% mask compliance. Note that many sections of the trail are narrow so be prepared for close encounters. I have never seen it this busy on a weekday. Perhaps this hike has become too popular.

On October 3 in 2018, I took three virtual reality spherical panoramic photos of the larches in a snow dusted environment at Headlight Creek and on a rock in Headlight Basin. They are variations on a theme and provide a cool immersive experience of the Alpine Larches, so check them out. I have also included a link to a panorama that I shot at the lake in mid-June 2015 with some snow still on the rocks. Here is the link to view them in a pano viewer at 360cities.net. Be sure to click the full screen icon as you roll over the upper right of the photo for best viewing.

Trailside Larches by Headlight Creek, Alpine Lakes Wilderness, WA State: https://www.360cities.net/image/trailside-larches-by-headlight-creek-alpine-lakes-wilderness-wa-state

Alpine Larches from Headlight Creek, Alpine Lakes Wilderness, WA State: https://www.360cities.net/image/alpine-larches-from-headlight-creek-alpine-lakes-wilderness-wa-state

Golden Alpine Larches in Headlight Basin, Alpine Lakes Wilderness, WA State: https://www.360cities.net/image/golden-alpine-larches-in-headlight-basin-alpine-lakes-wilderness-wa-state

Lake Ingalls, Upper Rock Slabs, Alpine Lakes Wilderness, WA State: https://www.360cities.net/image/lake-ingalls-upper-rock-slabs-alpine-lakes-wilderness-wa-state-usa