Lake Ingalls — Sunday, Oct. 13, 2024

Arrived at the parking lot at 10:30 and managed to park 0.9 miles away from the trailhead. There were some spots higher up but the parking situation was rough when we arrived and due to cars attempting to leave, we had to start backing down the road as there was no place to turn around. 

Trail was busy but everyone was practicing good hiking etiquette and most hikers stepped aside to allow the uphill hikers to pass. Started making our way down around 2pm and most people had gone. Saw a few dogs, and at least one at the very top, past the sign that said no dogs allowed. 

Larches were beautiful! They felt to be at peak, or slightly past. The Ingalls Pass area is a really good stopping point for anyone interested in the fall foliage. Very good views, and you can hear the pikas screaming in the background. I think most people stopped here, and I would recommend it as well. 

We chose to continue on to the lake, and while I'm glad we did for completion sake, I wouldn't recommend. After Ingalls Pass, we took the left fork and spent the next 1 - 1.5 miles scrambling around rocks and attempting to find the trail up to the lake. The very last quarter mile is truly just rock scrambling, which I did not like, and the views at the lake were not as good as they are at the pass. 

Apple Watch final stats: 8.9 miles; 2,850 feet elevation gain; averaged a 30min/mile pace