Lower Ice Lake

Shallow sun cups in the snow at Lower Ice Lake.

Thursday, August 17
3 PM, Lower Ice Lake

Micki and I now are the only ones at this lake. The guys camping at the outlet stream left this morning. The Boy-Scouts (or whatever the hell they were) camped at a pond halfway between the two lakes, up above our location.

As Micki and I returned from an early morning hike up to the upper lake, they were shouldering their packs. They didn’t come by here, so they must have continued on to the upper lake for their next camp.

Little pond where the Boy Scouts camped.

I think the lower lake is really much more lovely and better for camping, so I can't see why they lugged their packs up to the upper lake. Except, when we went by their camp I noticed that they had a bunch of plastic tarps laid out to dry. So they may not have had tents and their packs might not have been that heavy.

Looking south across lower lake.

This lower lake is somewhat rocky at its westerly end, with isolated stands of Lyall’s larch and other hardy vegetation. On the south side are steep cliffs leading up to the upper lake and Mt. Maude.

There is a pleasant small bench with a tiny meadow at the eastern end, through which the stream coming down from the upper lake flows. There is a glorious view over to the Entiat Mountains on the far side of Ice creek from here.

The Entiat Mountains from little meadow near Lower Ice Lake.

In comparison to the upper lake, this lower lake is absolutely lush!

Both lakes are majestic and I shot roll after roll of film around both. (Spoiler Alert: BIG photo galleries!)

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