Another great outing in the Alpine Lakes Wilderness! Road to Mt. Daniel Trailhead is in great condition as is the trailhead pit toilet. There was a long line of cars parked down the road when we arrived. We began hiking up a nicely graded forest climb and passed groups that were relieved to find that we were planning to camp at Deep Lake and not Peggy's pond. We took a break at Sqaw Lake and saw nice sites and a peaceful setting. Arriving at Deep Lake we saw a sign that the pit toilet had been restored (although we cannot vouch for it since our party did not use it) and were unable to find an open spot by the lake. We chose this destination for its relative quiet, but it's still popular. We ended up finding a nice camp area closer to the PCT in the trees overlooking the meadow with a prominent view of Cathedral Peak.
On our second day, our group split off into day-hikers and trail runners. We made our way south on the PCT towards Waptus Lake, which is as beautiful and busy as ever. The trail between Deep and Waptus is in good condition, but definitely brushy and rocky at times. In the evening, a group of poor souls approached us who had made a wrong turn exiting Peggy's Pond trail and ended up all the way at Deep Lake! This was the second time a group approached us having made this mistake. Possibly more signage at that junction could be helpful (or downloaded maps...).
On our last day, we had a smooth hike out in the incoming smoke and enjoyed the last of our wild blueberries and huckleberry snacks.
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