Lake Ingalls, Ingalls Creek, Fourth Creek & Beverly Turnpike — Friday, Oct. 2, 2020

A weekend of smoke and then rain pushed our annual fall trip out a few weeks.  Wow, we are glad it did. Perfect fall weather weekend.

Left a car at Bean Creek/Beverly Creek trailhead Friday morning.  Road a little rough but made it in minivan going slow.  Drove second car to Lake Ingalls trailhead. Parking lot full and cars about quarter mile down the road, about what we expected for larch madness and covid non carpooling.

Started out Friday around 11:30am from Lake Ingalls trailhead which seemed to be after the day trippers and before after work backpackers. Everybody   was super respectful and masked up on the trail. Also no trash on trail, which was amazing.  Trail in great condition and larches are out.  Took the path around basin (saw mountain goats) and on up to the lake.  Last bit of scramble a little tough with heavy packs.  Navigated around rocks on the side of lake to the outlet.  Headed down Ingalls lake backdoor trail (keep far left for better trail) to Ingalls creek basin. Camped  at meadow camp with Stuart out one door and Ingalls peak out the other.  Amazing stars and moon. Next day headed down Ingalls creeks trail  to Fourth Creek turnoff.  Trail in beautiful shape, great work  WTA.  After Creek crossing ( half of group took off shoes to cross, others did a rock hop). Fourth Creek to intersection with hard Scrabble trail and set up camp with an amazing view of Stuart range.  Only passed 9 people all day.  Morning walk for a bit down hard Scrabble to see some more larches, then packed up and headed out Beverly Creek trail to the car. Very few people and only a few blow downs on trail.