Relative easy overnight backpack to a less crowded destination than Lake Ingalls. Had the lake to ourselves the entire afternoon and next morning when hiked out at 9am. No bugs, bit windy, but otherwise dead quiet.

We reached the trailhead at 10:30 AM and by that time the parking lot was full. Be sure to get there early, especially on the weekend to secure your parking spot otherwise you will have to park down the road. We started out on the Esmerelda Basin Trail at 10:40 AM. 0.4 miles into the hike you come to a junction. The trail to the right at the junction takes you to Longs Pass and Lake Ingalls, we continued straight on Esmerelda Basin Trail. We could tell that most people had gone to Longs Pass and Lake Ingalls because we only ran into a couple groups on the way up. I will definitely be going back to check out Longs Pass and Lake Ingalls. The Esmerelda Basin Trail is in pretty good shape for the most part. There were some loose rocks on the trail but the awesome volunteers with WTA did a great job of clearing the trail. It was overcast and cool heading up and clouds were starting to roll down from top of the basin. The first part of the hike you are going through the forest with very little elevation gain. Once we emerged from the forest we started a series of long switchbacks which took us up the side of a rocky cliff. We reached another junction on the trail and went right for Lake Ann. This junction took us on several smaller switchbacks that were a little steeper but nothing to challenging. At about 2:00 PM we made it to the top of the switchbacks and made camp. The campsite has room for 1-2 tents comfortably but you can probably get a third one in there just fine. After we made camp we continued on the trail through a nice open meadow and another series of switchbacks to the top of the ridge where down below sat Lake Ann. The views from the top of the ridge are truly spectacular, Lake Ann was crystal clear and the light hitting the mountain was perfect. We stayed up there for a few hours before coming back to camp at 7:30 for dinner.

This will be brief. The road in is excellent. The trail is perfect, just a couple trees that are easy to navigate around or over. The snow is gone, with the exception of one 10ft wide patch on the trail down towards the lake. This posed no problem and the rest of the trail is snow free. The lake is completely thawed and the wildflowers are blooming nicely. Bugs did not bother me but do check for ticks. I had 2 on me when I left the lake. Be safe. Have fun.

For my first visit to the Teanaway region, my friend Owen and I hiked to Lake Ann via Esmeralda Basis, and wow, I may have just found one of my new favorite areas to hike in Washington. Everything about this hike was wonderful. The incredible variety and density of wildflowers right now was a highlight. The trail was completely snow free until we got to the Lake Ann lookout. From there down to the lake there are still a few small snowfields to cross. While the amount of snow looked negligible, it turns out that the steep hillside under them is actually pretty treacherous right now, as the scree slope they sit on is supersaturated with snowmelt. As I stepped to the edge of the second small snowfield, the ground beneath it suddenly liquified, and I had the strong sense that while an avalanche was unlikely, a mudslide was quite probable, and it was a scary moment. We backtracked maybe 50 yards and opted to scramble down a snow-free patch through the trees instead, and while this way is steep and there is a lot of loose scree, it was far more solid than the actual trail at this point. I imagine that with just a few more sunny days, though, the snow will be completely gone from the trail. Once we got down to the lake we enjoyed our lunch and the squeal of marmots. Although Esmeralda Basin by itself is a perfectly worthy hike (sweeping views of breathtaking scenery,) it's worth the extra couple of miles to visit Lake Ann. The Lake Ann lookout gives views down two valleys, and it's only about a 300 foot drop to go down to the lake. Then if you follow the Esmeralda Basin trail to Fortune Creek Pass, too (at most a half-mile further past the cutoff for the Lake Ann), you get to look down into a third valley. This hike packs a lot of variety and views of some rugged and impressive country, especially given that it's fairly moderate. The day was partly cloudy, warm, and pretty. The hike is exposed to the sun in a lot of areas, so it was nice to hike it on a day with some clouds, as I image it's quite hot up here on a fully sunny day. That exposure means that the hike has incredible views for nearly the entire length of it, though. Our entire trip ended up being 8.6 miles and ~2700 feet total elevation gain. Most of that elevation is in the last mile or so on the way up to Lake Ann. Otherwise, it's just a nice, gradual climb of easy, long switchbacks; easy on the legs on both the way up and the way down. Both the road and trail conditions are fine. Although it's 10 miles of gravel road, it is well-maintained and should be suitable for most cars. Also, despite it being a beautiful sunday, we saw very few hikers on this trail. Most of the cars in the parking lot must have opted for the more popular Lake Ingalls.

Finally got to hike to Lake Ann via Esmerelda Basin. The trail is snow free until you reach the last 1/2 mile below the Ridge. At that point, there are snow fields. They weren't much of an issue, just some minor postholing, and you can bypass some of them. The trail is a bit hard to find in that area so be sure you know where you are going. Once you reach the top of the Ridge on the County Line trail, you can see the lake, which is almost completely thawed. Getting from the Ridge down to the lake is a bit tricky because there is still a lot of snow. I was able to just pound my heels in hard so it kind of made it like stairs, only stairs that aren't real sturdy. Poles are definitely recommended. Remember that once you get down to the lake you have to come back up! On the way back up I used my tracks most of the way. Just be very careful. It is really steep and a fall would not end well. The road in is excellent. There were a couple of trees crossing the trail but they were easy to navigate with no issues. There are some wildflowers in the lower elevations, but not up above probably 4500 feet. This trail is perfect for the pups because there are many small water crossings. Have fun. Be safe.