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| Snow lake |
If your an avid hiker, then the two words Snow Lake is a quick reference for a crowded accent up to a huge beautiful alpine lake. Its usually packed on all non rainy weekends and can be bumper to bumper up and down the trail .
But it's well worth it as any hiker has to go at least once. The best time to go is on a weekday or in the off season to miss the crowds. There's also another way to visit the area...... via backpacking.
I headed up the Snow lake trail last fall but hiked past Snow lake to explore the lakes beyond.
Gem lake, Lower Wildcat lake and Upper Wildcat lake lay beyond Snow lake among many other numerous off trail lakes.
Gem lake is quite a gem with several nice camping sites but can also be packed with backpackers like Snow lake. My advice is to head to Upper Wildcat lake.
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| Thunderstorms presiding over Upper Wildcat lake |
The trail to Upper Wildcat is overgrown and can be hard to follow but only lasts about .3 miles beyond Lower Wildcat.
Lower wildcat doesn't have much to see as its banks are thick with brush and no scenery of the above mountains. The trail looks like it ends at Lower wildcat but don't be fooled, cross the little foot bridge on the right side of the trail and get cozy with the under story of fauna. Very soon you'll be in solitude along Upper Wildcats shoreline pitching your tent. Bring your fishing pole as the fish should be biting!!
I had no luck fishing at Gem lake but caught one nice brook trout at Upper Wildcat along with several bites within one hour.
Feeling adventurous? Head off trail over Upper Wildcat's North ridge and the lake list expands: Lake Caroline, Hatchet lake, Derrick lake, Little Derrick lake, Horseshoe lake, Shamrock lake and Elbow lake.
My plan was to make it to Lake Caroline but thunderstorms stopped my plans so i rested awhile longer at Upper Wildcat.
The following day before heading back to my car I climbed Mount Roosevelt. This is a quick steep climb which only requires scrambling skills. To get there follow the trail on top of the west ridge above Gem lake. Just keep following the trail as its pretty self explanatory once you find the trail.
Hopefully some day I'll head back and see all the lakes, with such close proximity to each other these lakes would be a blast to explore.
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| Heading up to Snow lake |
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| First break at Snow lake |
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| Gem lake |
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| My campsite up above Gem lake |
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| The start of the sunset |
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| The view from my campsite looking at Gem lake |
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| Sunset |
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| Another fishing break at Gem lake |
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| Sunset |
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| Looking east from Mount Roosevelt |
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| Looking north from Mount Roosevelt |
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| Kaleetan Peak on the R and Chair Peak on the L looking south |
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| Snow Lake from Mount Roosevelt |
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| I found a friend in Gem lake |
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