Lake Ingalls, WA - 10/2013
This is one amazing hike and pristine wilderness you can experience if
you want everything in one hike, particularly now to view fantastic
golden fall colors of larches. This week may be the last chance to catch
that. You can read other trip reports on Lake Ingalls for details which
I found useful for my trip. Hence, my trip report is to be short and
simple, and just to say TWO THUMBS UP! The hike also offers a variety of
terrains to hike along (forest, water falls, switchbacks, traversing
saddles, scrambling) and various vegetation/rock formations with grand
vistas of mountain peaks all along until you reach Lake Ingalls. Be
ready to drop your jaw as you trek up switchbacks and magnificent Mt.
Stuart greets you at the pass....Wow! The snow is already 1 -2 feet deep
over the pass, but you can follow well packed snow trail to reach the
tarn. Route finding and ascending to the lake may be a bit tricky part
of the way due to the snow. The snow was slushy when I started the
switchback section around 1pm. Trekking poles are useful, and calculate
the starting/returning time of your hike for the snow's slippery
condition. I started a bit late around noon, reached the lake by 2:30,
and trek back to my car a little after 5pm. If I had started earlier, I
would have had more leisure time at the lake. It took me 3 hrs to get
to the trailhead from Seattle. The last 10 miles of the unpaved road to
TH are full of potholes (some are huge and deep!), so just go slow and
take it easy. I highly recommend this hike. Feed your soul with all the
spectaculars!
How to get there:
From Seattle drive east on I-90 to East
Cle Elum, exit 85. Cross over the freeway overpass and turn right
(northbound) on State Route 970. Cross the Teanaway River bridge, and in
another mile turn left onto Teanaway Road. Drive north on Teanaway
Road, veering right as it becomes first the North Fork Teanaway Road and
then unpaved Forest Road 9737 at 29 Pines Campground. Continue to the
road's end.
| Roundtrip | 9.0 miles | ||||||||||
| Elevation Gain | 2500 ft | ||||||||||
| Highest Point | 6500 ft |
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