Alice Lake

The campsite by the creek wasn't leveled. But it was the only dry place available in the snow-covered valley, and I was thankful that I could pitch the tent at all. I managed to sleep well despite rolling down and then pulling myself back up a few times over night. Anybody would've slept well after an ordeal of slogging through the snow like I have the day before.

I packed up and moved on as soon as the day broke. I had a long way to go. I had to make it to Alice Lake, still 4 miles away, and then it would be another 8 miles from there to the trailhead. And who knows what kind of obstacle is waiting. I only made 6 miles the day before, after all. I had to start early today. 

This time, I went up the bowl following the creek. I applied the lesson I learned the day before, in other words: there is no point trying to find the trail buried under the snow; just follow the gradient path. And I found the trail once I climbed up the bowl onto the plateau. I repeated losing and finding the trail a few times and then I was over the ridge on the left side of the plateau. Then the false trail once again misled me, to a ledge of snow above a cliff. I backtracked, eventually found the trail again and I was on the other side of the mountain looking down at a few unnamed lakes far below in the valley. Twin Lakes then appeared as I rounded the corner. I was getting there.

The snow ledge above the cliff that I almost fell off from

I don't remember much after that other than slogging through the snow some more and then pooping near a small lake. Got lost a few more times while skirting that lake, and I was at Alice Lake, where I should've been yesterday, finally.

Alice Lake

Alice lake was a beautiful, clear lake, not unlike Thousand Island Lake, only without islands. I must've come down quite a bit from the peak -- there was much less snow by the time I got there. The snow would eventually disappear shortly after Alice Lake. I had my lunch by the lake, spent an hour or so, and moved on. I left my water filter and bottle there and I had to back track after a mile, only to lose it while crossing the creek.

The water was raging. From Alice Lake, you follow the creek all the way to Petite Lake. You also have to ford the creek a half dozen times as the trail zigzags across the creek. Walking across the ranging creek is more terrifying than slogging through snow or bushwacking through woods. On the first crossing, I almost fell. I recovered, but the water bottle fell out from my backpack and floated down the creek. The bottle had the filter attached to it and therefore was top-heavy. To make the matter worse, the pocket in my backpack was slanted, making it easy for the bottle to fall out. I tried to chase it and then quickly gave up when trees separated the trail from the creek. The water was faster than I could run anyway.

Other than that, the trail was trouble-free. Not having snow made trekking easier and pleasant, at least in between the creek-fording. I took some time to wash myself when I got to Petite Lake. I was going to sleep in the car, so I had to wash myself. And the lake was as good a place to wash as any. I then got to my car, drove to Redfish Marina and had a burger dinner there.  Bath and dinner taken care of, I went to Iron Creek and slept in the last campsite that was available.

Back in my car at the trailhead