Lake Ingalls (Snoqualmie Region)
Length: 9.0 Miles Round Trip
Gain: 2,500 ft.
High Point: 6,500 ft.

Lake Ingalls is one of my favorites hikes to do, even though I have only hiked it twice. Being on the Eastern side of the Cascades it is more of a desert hike and the heat can really get to you in the Summer or Fall and there are not a lot of water options during the first half of the hike. You can expect to see everything from a beautiful blue lake and waterfall to mountains, wildlife and plenty of flowers. In the Fall, you will be treated to stunning colors including the golden larches which are scattered all over the place.

I took off on this hike with my buddy Jeremy and planned on spending two nights up there relaxing and getting away from city life. The hike starts off in the forest and keeping you protected from the sun, but after a quick half mile, the trail immediately makes its way up the hill and into the exposed open country leaving the trees behind. For the next three miles we kept going up while getting great views of Esmeralda Peaks until we hit Ingalls Pass. From here, we could look behind us and see a stunning view of Mount Rainier. Along with the view, there was a solid line of clouds moving in from the West that let us know the sunny day was about to end and it wouldn’t be long before the rain would be arriving by morning.

Once we were on top of Ingalls Pass, you got views of Mount Stuart and Ingalls Peaks. It would be a easy walk around the hillside as you pass grassy meadows and a couple streams. Also be on the lookout for mountain goats as they are frequently seen from this point on and past the lake.

Once we got around, we had one climb left to do where the route is difficult to follow, but at the same time it is very easy and also marked by cairns. About a quarter mile before this point the trail breaks off to Headlight Basin which is where everyone camps at because camping is not allowed at the lake. I discovered before you can go well past the lake and can camp at a different location. I prefer this because the views are way better and have more to offer.

As we reached the top, I looked to my right and saw a mountain goat and her baby laying down watching me. I let my buddy know being the trail walks literally right under where they were laying. A third bigger mountain goat came walking up and they all started slowing walking around eating. I took the chance to snap a few good photos while they slowly passed through and went on their way. 30 seconds later we could see the lake and dropped right on down.

Surprised to see we only had passed a handful of people today as this is a very popular location in the Summer. We continued along a book path and through the rocks around the lake until we reached the other side. We kept going until we reached the location where we planned to camp and got set up. Once we setup camp, we took advantage of the nice weather to take some photos and enjoy the views as we knew a weather system was fast approaching and tomorrow could be a long wet day. We did get the opportunity to see a couple lenticular clouds which you don’t get to see too often.

The next morning we woke up to the sound of rain. Jeremy was smart and had books to read while staying dry while I also kept dry and played with a deck of cards. Spent a majority of the day in our tents as the clouds kept low and the rain wouldn’t stop.

Finally around 6:00pm the rained calmed down for a bit and allowed us to head out and explore the area. We walked around the lake and did a little climbing and enjoying what little views we were given. The fogged rolling in and out over the lake as some new hikers had set up camp right next to the lake. Disappointing to see people camping where they shouldn’t be, but hopefully nature gets back at them with a downpour tonight. As the sun set and the skies quickly became darker, we rushed back to camp and started to cook up dinner and hot chocolate in the dark. We didn’t mind as we had been locked up in our tents all day and it was nice to be out moving around even in the dark.

It wasn’t long before the rain sent us back inside and the winds started to kick up quickly. Now we were in a storm. Winds with gusts kicked up to probably 45 mph or so and slammed our tents around all night long. The rains would come and go even though the winds wouldn’t let down. I love the winds and enjoyed listening to it throughout the night. I don’t know exactly how Jeremy felt about it, but I’m pretty sure he didn’t mind either, staying dry is what was most important.

Woke up early and it was cold. There was actually some ice inside my tent as temps were sitting right at 32 degrees. I peaked outside to clear blue skies. The wind was still blowing a little. As soon as the sun made it over the mountain we let our gear dry out a little before packing up and working our way back.

Took a last few photos as we slowly worked our way around the lake and then quickly hit the downhill to get back to the car. On our way back we had to actually pull off the road as a cattle drive was coming right at us. Two people on horses and three dogs chasing a bunch of cows down the road. An interesting sight to see but just typical country life for the folks out here.

I would highly recommend this hike to anyone and you can find more information about this hike and many other great hikes at the Washington Trails Association page.