1982: Larch to Ice Lakes

Lower Ice Lake

Our neighbors, camped at Lower Ice Lake outlet stream.

Our neighbors, camped at Lower Ice Lake outlet stream.

Monday
Lower Ice Lake
7:45 PM

I'm really glad that we stayed at Ice Camp last night. We shared that splendid space with no one but the local wildlife. It's a different story up here. Not that there are hordes of people, but there’s a party of four guys camped at the primo-best spot right next to the outlet stream. They said they had stayed at Ice Camp the night before I did.

I found a nice but exposed spot up on a hill above the lake, not too far away from the sketchy route leading up to the upper lake. It’s a little rocky but the views are pretty damn nice.

That little blue and yellow dot is our Lower Ice Lake camp.

The little blue and yellow dot is our Lower Ice Lake camp. That gap to the left of the mountain in the distance is the pass that leads down to Entiat Meadows.

There are a few mosquitoes, but the horseflies are more annoying. I think the colder nighttime temperatures at this higher elevation are cutting the buzzing hordes down to size. It was already getting nippy by the time I put the pot on to boil the dinner water.

Before dinner, I climbed up to check out a possible route down to Entiat Meadows. As I was going up I met a party of nine adolescent boys and their three adult packleaders. They had come up from Entiat Meadows and said it was very rough and steep, and added that the route was very poorly marked.

Headed towards Entiat Meadows pass.

Headed towards Entiat Meadows pass.

‘Hey, no problem!’ I said. “The topo map shows that way is less strenuous than the Ice Creek Route I just came up.’ They looked at me, rolled their eyes, and went on their way down to Ice Lake.

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