Lake Ingalls, Ingalls Creek & Longs Pass — Friday, Jun. 30, 2023

A quick report for a loop (or lollipop loop) around the Lake Ingalls area.

Road to the trailhead was in pretty good shape for a forest service road.  Some washboard to deal with after it turns to gravel and as usual, some potholes but they weren't extreme.  A vehicle with regular clearance will have no problems getting to the trailhead.  

Restroom at the TH is open and stocked. I got to the TH at about 7:00 AM on a Friday and it was about half full.  

Nothing major to report on the trail all the way to the pass on the way to Ingalls Lake.  One tiny patch of snow to cross right before the pass.  There are a couple of small water sources on this section but I don't expect they will last much longer.  

Took the upper trail to the lake.  Meadows are really starting to turn a bright green and some wildflowers were out.  I do not think they have peaked at this elevation yet.  For those who have not been on this section of trail, as you close in towards the lake, the trail does become more technical and it can be a little more challenging to follow, but if you take your time and look for some well placed cairns, you should manage to stay on track.  So much to look at in this section as well, with the Ingalls Peaks towering above you and of course, Mount Stuart dominating the skyline to your east.  It truly is an amazing place.

A short, steep final ascent will bring you to the lake shore.  This is where you will encounter the most snow but only if you chose to continue on around the lake.  If you chose to stop here and take it all in as the half way point, you do not have to navigate this snowbank.  I easily dropped down it without traction as the snow was already soft even in the early morning.

Great news!!!  No mosquitoes!  Yet.  I worked my way around the west shore of the lake.  This does require some scrambling and getting across a steep, lingering snowfield.  If you are comfortable on snow, it shouldn't be an issue, if you do slip, the consequences will be minimal as you will just slide into the lake.  Maybe not a bad thing with all this hot weather!   I worked my way around the lake and paused here to take it all in for a few minutes.  

My plan was to continue on to Stuart Pass, then drop down on the Ingalls Creek Trail.  But looking around, I saw opportunity to scramble down to the meadow the pass and I cannot pass up a chance to take the path less traveled.  That being said, taking the trail to the pass to intersect with the Ingalls Creek Trail is a fine option.   Down at the meadow, I quickly found the Ingalls Creek trail and used it to make my way down to the intersection with the Longs Pass Trail. 

Lots of wildflowers here, fields of glacier lilies!  The trail is overgrown in some spots and there are quite a few blowdowns to get around or over.  I suspect this section of the trail doesn't see much use.  But still, no major obstacles.  I gawked up at Stuart as I made my way down this trail.  The intersection with Longs Pass Trail is well marked and easy to see.

Longs Pass Trail.  Many of us have dropped a curse word or two climbing up this trail after attempting Stuart.   Good news though, it's short.  And steep.  Bad jokes aside, it is a rough trail, but at least easy to follow.  Good path through the scree at top makes things easier.  Plus, if you are huffing and puffing, you can stop, turn around and bask in the views of Stuart.  

Longs Pass trail on the south side is in good condition with just a blowdown or two and a section where the tread is minimal but only for a couple yards.

Great loop that I have wanted to do for some time that gives the traveler a great taste of what the Alpine Lakes has to offer.  Watch put the distance at about ten miles with 4k of gain but there are ample spots to camp at if you want to stretch the trip out.  

More Information on this Trip Report

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