- The trail:
- The route follows the well-defined trail all the way up to Gem Lake (past Snow Lake). From Gem Lake, Wright Mountain is just a quick 0.5 miles (approx.) walk up to the north. You can do it first, or after the summit of Roosevelt, the route remains the same regardless. If doing Wright, wrap around the east side of Gem Lake, following intermittent hiker trails up to the summit (return to Gem Lake the way you came).
- Roosevelt:
- There are two distinct summits for Roosevelt: one to the north and one to the south. The summit to the south is the higher of the two. The route described is for the southern summit. The route to Roosevelt begins at the ridgeline that separates the Snow Lake basin from Gem Lake. There are multiple hikers trails that follow the ridgeline, choose the one that makes the most sense for you. There are some steep ish sections, but nothing too crazy in this section.
- Follow the ridge until you hit an obvious (ish) split, turning left at a small talus field - continuing straight would take you towards the northern summit. Continue working southward at a very moderate incline, trying to not gain too much elevation and following the ridge while keeping an eye to the southwest. The summit route includes a short descent into a talus basin (and subsequent traverse across) to get to the base of Roosevelt’s summit block. The summit route doesn’t follow the same ridge from Gem Lake all the way to the summit.
- After the traverse across the talus field, you will find an obvious dirt trail ascending steeply out of the talus. On first glance, it may not seem to be the best route - but it isn’t too bad.
- Important: Keep in mind that this point in the trail becomes much more treacherous if the route is wet due to the trail’s consistency (predominantly dirt). If you are attempting this when the route is wet, be extra careful.
- After ascending out of the talus field, up the dirt trail, the route to the summit is very straightforward. Multiple routes will lead to the summit and no real technical experience is required to complete the hike. Views are great in all directions, however, the bugs might be an annoyance. Return the way you came.
- Hike stats (averaged between two GPS tracks):
- Snow Lake Viewpoint - 2.25mi, 1,300ft ^
- Snow Lake - 2.7mi, 1,350ft ^
- Gem Lake - 4.6mi, 2,200ft ^
- Roosevelt Summit Base - 5.1mi, 2,500ft ^
- Mount Roosevelt - 5.6mi, 3,200ft ^
- Gem Lake (return) - 6.5mi, 3,450ft ^
- Wright Mountain - 6.95mi - 4,050ft ^
- Trailhead - 12.0mi, 4,625ft ^
- Bugs: Bugs were present throughout, but not overly bothersome until you reach the summit of Roosevelt - then they were obnoxious
- Road: Plenty of parking in the Alpental parking area. Might fill up on a nice weekend.
- Gear: No special gear required for this hike in the summer. A GPS is helpful due to the variety of game/hiker trails up past Gem Lake.
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