Bottom Line:
Decided to make Rachel Lake the destination today rather than a refueling stop up to Alta. The trail is much easier this way! Last year, the descent from Alta was where I ran into some trouble near Rachel Lake after letting myself get dehydrated and not being adequately prepared. Brought a packraft and explored the shore of the this kidney-shaped lake with its wonderful clear water, cliffs and rocky outcroppings. Definitely recommended for paddling! It was very gusty to start, so best to pay attention to the wind forecast (the south end of the lake is more protected). There were some folks fishing as well - cutthroat. See video :)
Stats:
- Distance: 10.9 miles (including paddle - see map)
- Duration: 4-3/4 hours
- Vertical: 2205 ft
- Road/Parking: NF-4930 is in good condition and not too dusty, but washboard surface just after the junction with Kachess Lake for ~1/2 mile; some congestion with Kachess overflow parking also near the junction, effectively reducing to a one-lane road; beyond that, the road surface is excellent and no problem for all cars; lots of car campers along the road through the Rachel Lake trailhead; the parking at Rachel Lake was mostly full - just a few spots from recent departures; National Forest Parking pass required; outhouse; CAUTION: significant broken glass in the lot from previous car break-ins :(
- Weather: Sunny and ~72F at the trailhead; Rachel Lake itself was quite breezy with some very strong gusts at times (and even some whitecaps), but still plenty warm in the bright sunshine; my initial crossing of the lake was a bit sketchy in retrospect, with waves splashing into the boat, and strong gusts that had the potential to flip the boat over if I got caught in a side wind, but the lake definitely settled down as I headed to the south end
- Trail: The trail climbs briefly from the trailhead to point into Box Canyon, and then quickly levels out for ~2 miles as you hike along Box Creek, alternately passing through mature forest with a devil's club understory, and open meadows thick with ferns and thimbleberry; the lush meadows are armpit high and overgrown at times so make lots of "hey bear" noises when returning late in the afternoon! Plenty of stream crossings, but all easy to step over using rocks and logs. You will notice that you are hiking into a dead-end canyon at some point, setting the stage for that last grunt up to the lake. The last ~1 mile/1K ft up to the lake is notorious for its all its rocky, rooty and steep switchback glory! It is definitely a huff and there are social trails in come parts heading in different directions; most trails are headed the right way - just options; the creek that can run directly down the trail at times is dry; if you have energy, coming down this section of trail can be fun by jumping rock to rock; otherwise, poles are really recommended! Plenty of flowers in the meadows with open sun, and along the Rachel lakeshore; more wildlife (e.g. pika in the scree) at the quiet south end of the lake with no trail accessibility; camping at the lake was quite crowded and some folks descending were complaining about that; way more people were headed up Friday evening as I descended so not sure how that worked out
- Water: Plenty of filterable water on the trail and of course at the lake; there is a stretch of trail on the switchbacks up to the lake where water is scarce for awhile, but that is about it; Box Canyon creek is really quite beautiful with carved granite pools and crystal clear waters - the pools themselves are pretty inviting for a swim; the Box Canyon Creek recreation area pools/waterfall on NF-4930 a couple miles before the trailhead had lots of folks in the water on my way out
- Takeaway: Ususally we just pass through Lake Rachel basin on our way up to Alta peak, but today we decided to make it the main destination with our packrafts in tow; the lake it a good site for paddling with beautiful water, underwater rock outcroppings, and above/below water cliffs on the far side of the lake; the south end of the lake is very quiet with a couple nice beaches, making it easy to get away from the crowds concentrated around the area where the trail first meets the lake
The attached 4K video focuses on the paddle at the lake.
Just phone pics today with lots of shots facing into the sun unfortunately! :)
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