Lake Ingalls — Saturday, Sep. 3, 2016

Snoqualmie Region > Salmon La Sac/Teanaway

We started out Saturday morning, arriving at the trailhead around noon. The road was a bit rough, and had washboarding in areas, but we were able to make it in a Prius without anything falling off. No washouts. The trailhead was packed by the time we arrived, but we were able to find parking on the side of the road. We started up through fairly dense forest that gradually thinned out as we moved upwards. The trail up to Ingalls Pass, the first high point, is well-maintained if a bit steep and rocky in places. Hiking boots would be a good idea. With packs, we made it up in about 1.5 hours, taking our time. It was sprinkling on and off throughout, but nothing too bad. From the top, we were presented with awesome views of Mt. Stewart. On the other side of the pass, the trail has some steep areas, so exercise caution. We set up camp on one of the many designated campsites, and continued on over the second shoulder and to the lake, which was an amazing sight with some great alpine wildflower meadows on the way. Unfortunately, when we returned, the nice weather had run out and we have to make an early dinner huddled under some trees in the rain. However, it eventually cleared, giving way to some nice views. The clear sky remained for the night, allowing for some excellent stargazing in a giant sky. The relatively clear skies held out for the next morning as we made breakfast and headed out. We even spotted a goat on the rocks! On the hike out, we heard some thunder in the distance echoing through the mountains, a super cool sound. Overall a very nice hike, once we got out of the trailhead, the crowds weren't too bad and between rain showers we saw great alpine views. (I wish I had better photos, but I didn't think to bring a nicer camera than my phone...)