Lake Ingalls
- Kayleen Durant
- Aug 13, 2019
- 4 min read
Preface: I am writing this post the day following this hike, with sore knees and joints from all of the rock scrambling!
I got so much feedback about my pictures that I figured I should do a quick write-up about this break-taking (literally) trail!!
The trailhead is about 35 minutes outside of Cle Elum. The forest road is wash-boarded and fairly full of potholes. Luckily I went in my friend's 4Runner, so it made the experience much more enjoyable than in my own car, ha.
From the trailhead, you start out with shaded switchbacks, hitting elevation gain from the second you step off the parking lot. After a mile or so, the trees slowly start to thin out. On a hot day, I can see this being 10 times more exhausting. Luckily we had a decent cloud cover.
After about 3 miles of decent elevation gain, you finally reach the pass. This is a good spot for a 5-10 minute snack and water break. From here, on a clear day, you can see Mt. Rainier, the Yakima hills, and you get a gorgeous view of Mount Stuart. 360 degree views for sure!! Take it in, because you still have more elevation gain, and some tricky parts left!
Walk through a gorgeous grassy meadow with many beautiful larches (which I've heard are beautiful in the fall when they turn golden). A nice stream runs through where I was lucky enough to get fresh cold water since my hiking buddy had a water filter (highly recommend getting one). If you're lucky, this is where you would most likely see Mountain Goats; they must have been hiding from me the day I went.
This next part is where the trail becomes a little challenging to follow. Follow the cairns (stack of rocks, FYI) and you should be able to make it just fine. If you go on a weekend, there will more than likely be enough people on the trail for you to follow someone who knows the way.
The last push up to the lake involves scrambling up over many large boulders. This took a serious toll on my (already struggling) knees. I took my time because the elevation gain mixed with rock climbing wasn't kind to my lungs. If you know me, you also know I have a lot of lower body to pull up the side of a mountain, so climbing up over boulders isn't the easiest workout. But through the sweat droplets in my eyes and the sound of my big-bad-wolf huffing and puffing, I finally arrived at the lake. I would say that it was obviously challenging, but not enough to the point where I wanted to quit or hated my life, haha.
Arriving at the lake, you immediately forget all of the sweat and ankle-breaking rocks you struggled up to get here; you feel an indescribable, sensational high from the views you come upon. You can either end your hike here, and sit and enjoy the lake at the shore, or you can choose to add mileage and elevation by attempting to go around the lake.
We followed the different cairns, but truly just guessed at which rocks to climb over. This not only added mileage, but also a lot more time, because it takes a little while to get around the lake with how slow and careful you need to go on the boulders. I would be lying if I said there wasn't sketchy parts to this!
After going around to the other side of the lake, we thought we could just continue around the remaining half of the lake. WRONG. We could not find a path that was safe to go around, learning this the hard way! We climbed up a rock formation that ended up to be a straight drop-off. Advice: If you are going to go around the lake, just take the same route to get back to the main trail! Although, in my honest opinion, if I were to hike this again, I don't see the need to go to the other side of the lake. The best view is from the initial ridge where you come in. There is a section a little ways down the side of the lake where you get the gorgeous reflection of Stuart on the water which is worth traveling over the rocks for!
Although I am extremely sensitive to cold temperatures, this water was by far the coldest I had ever touched. I came prepared to jump in, but that didn't happen. It was not hot enough due to the cloud cover and chilly winds. But if you are a brave soul- go for it. The water is absolutely crystal clear with a blue and seafoam green color! Unreal!
This hike had been on my list for 3 years. I am beyond glad that I made it a reality and crossed it off my list. If you aren't afraid of hard work, heights, and boulders, this hike should absolutely be on your list!!
I am linking the Washington Trails Association link, because that is where I always go to read recent trip reports and get information before any and every hike!
Trail details from this link state that it is 9 miles total (out and back), with 2,500 ft elevation gain.
Because of the additional things we did, it made our trip 12.02 miles and just over 2,900 ft elevation gain.
*You do need a Northwest Forest Pass for this hike.
Happy Hiking!!
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