I arrived at the Pratt Lake trailhead at 8:30am. The lot was full and there were 20 or so cars parked down the road. The road is easy to park on but it is only one side. We had no issues finding a spot. There is one spot on the forest road that has a large ditch. Having a car with clearance helps but is not required. Check out street view to look at it.
The trail was beautiful with lots of salmon berry bushes just starting to bloom. The trail climbs steadily for 5 miles and then descends into the basin.There were several creek crossing along the way that are unavoidable. For all of these you will need to walk across rocks as the water goes right over the trail. If you have mobility issues some of these will challenging as the rocks get slick and for some of the crossings the water runs over the rocks. However, I had no issue crossing but I needed to pay extra attention with my heavy pack.
After you reach the top the trail descends for a mile and a half. Note that WTA notes the trail is 11mi and I clocked 6.5-7mi on the way there meaning it is more like 13-14 miles if you are going to the campsite.
The first day it was quite cold and foggy. Descending into the basin we felt the air get 5 degrees colder or so. The next day was amazing and very warm.
Once we got to Pratt Lake, we set up camp. There are a variety of camp sites but we struggled to find one that fit 5. There is a large site at the end where Pratt Lake River Trail and Melakwa Lake Trail split. Note: the flies were really bad. I would highly recommend a bug net for your head. After, we ventured another .5mi to Lower Tuscohatchie Lake. That lake was easily my favorite.
At the lakes I heard:
- Swainsons Thrush
- Varied Thrush
- American Robin
- Acorn Woodpecker
- Olive-sided Flycatcher
- Stellars Jay
- Owl (not sure what kind)
- Pika (saw 2)
The next day we climbing out of the basin, which is quite a bit of work, and hiked back. On the way back the lot was somewhat full at 12p but there were cars down the road for .75mi. Another thing to note was the bathroom was out of toilet paper.
Overall this is one of my favorite trips I have been on and it is a must do.
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