Heather - Maple Pass Loop — Sunday, Sep. 29, 2024

 The whole trail is incredible from start to finish. At first, my heart sank when I saw the cars lined up on both sides of Hwy 20, but in reality, the trail head is very close to the road, and it was less than a 10 minute walk, and I was climbing up the loop, counterclockwise, towards Lake Ann. I took the spur trail to the lake, and it really helps to orient you for the rest of the hike, and is a very level, easy detour. Looking up at the semicircle of sheer cliffs gives you a graphic picture of what 1500 feet of elevation gain looks like, and once back on the main loop, you will be able to see the lake even after descending the high point at Maple Pass. The weather the whole time I was hiking was very moody, with a light snowfall, patchy sunlight and gusty winds, with a temperature right around freezing, which I find perfect for hiking. The slopes were on fire with fall colors, and the light dusting of snow helped to accentuate the rocky cliffs and crags. There were plenty of people on the trail, but never so much that it felt crowded: it was easy to remain in a sense of solitude the entire hike. The section above Lake Ann, about 1/2 mile before Maple Pass is very exposed, and I would not want to do it on snow, in early season- that is the only drawback of this hike in my opinion . All in all, it is a Gold-Medal, world class day hike