Forum Index > Trip Reports > Headlight Basin / Ingalls Lake Larch Hike 10/12/19
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awilsondc
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awilsondc
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PostWed Oct 16, 2019 8:47 pm 
I wasn't going to post a report for this, but there's been a horrible lack of larch reports this year on nwhikers, and now that the season is pretty much over with the weather moving in (and what a short one it was) I thought I'd share. I had just one day to make a trip to see the larch this year and once again had great difficulty selecting a location, a troubling trend for me lately. Most larch trips are soooo far away for me and I just didn't feel like a 5 hour drive each way so I went for the low hanging fruit - Headlight Basin and Ingalls Lake. The forecast for Friday was clear, but by early morning Saturday it was supposed to be totally overcast. This was a great opportunity for killer sunrise, and sunsetwx (which is horribly inaccurate to the point I don't even check it anymore very often) predicted a burner of a sunrise which I was hoping would hold true for once. My usual early start got me on the trail by 5am. From Wikipedia - Alpenglow (from German: Alpenglühen, Italian: Enrosadira) is an optical phenomenon that appears as a horizontal reddish glow near the horizon opposite of the Sun when the solar disk is just below the horizon. This effect is easily visible when mountains are illuminated, but can also be seen when clouds are lit through backscatter. Since the sun is below the horizon, there is no direct path for the sunlight to reach the mountain. Unlike sunrise or sunset, the light that causes alpenglow is reflected off airborne precipitation, ice crystals, or particulates in the lower atmosphere. These conditions differentiate between a normal sunrise or sunset, and alpenglow. The term is generally confused to be any sunrise or sunset light reflected off the mountains or clouds, but true alpenglow is not direct sunlight and is only visible after sunset or before sunrise.
Alpenglow - 20 minutes before sunrise, 8s exposure
Alpenglow - 20 minutes before sunrise, 8s exposure
Ever since I heard of the true definition of alpenglow, I've tried to find opportunities to note such a phenomenon. After reaching Ingalls Pass and looking down into Headlight Basin, the Ingalls Peaks were illuminated in some serious alpenglow, stronger than I've ever seen. It was 20 minutes before sunrise when I took the photo above. It also appeared like sunrise was indeed going to be a burner, and boy was it ever! It got me all giddy and excited, best sunrise I've seen probably all year. I really enjoyed it. There was one other photographer about, posted up in the same spot all morning. Other than that I had the place to myself. It was lovely.
First color
First color
Headlight Basin Sunrise
Headlight Basin Sunrise
The photographer
The photographer
Illuminated Larch
Illuminated Larch
Sunburst 1
Sunburst 1
Sunburst 2
Sunburst 2
Ingalls Peaks
Ingalls Peaks
I scurried about taking photos and enjoying the morning. There was about 20-25 minutes of golden hour light before the sun ducked behind the clouds where it would stay the remainder of the day. Once the show was over I headed over to Ingalls Lake. Once above the lake I thought I'd give South Ingalls a go, but the terrain was snowy and icy and I had already tagged the summit last year so I bailed. I thought about going for Van Epps peak but didn't really have the motivation. I hiked around the lake to extend the day just a bit.
This tree is rad
This tree is rad
Still water
Still water
Ingalls Lake
Ingalls Lake
Overcast
Overcast
Icicles
Icicles
Ingalls reflection
Ingalls reflection
Stream
Stream
Larch and Stuart
Larch and Stuart
Frozen tarn
Frozen tarn
Ingalls Peak and Lake
Ingalls Peak and Lake
I hadn't seen anybody all day aside from the morning photographer, but on the way back it was clear the hordes had arrived. Dozens of hikers were having a break at the lake with many more on the way. It was interesting to observe those out for the day hike. I'd estimate 75% were in their 20's / early 30s. Well prepared, most with microspikes or yak track which were appropriate for the conditions. Everyone I observed was following LNT principles. One girl climbed up onto a rock with Mount Stuart behind and golden larches on both sides and instantly crouched down into a squat, heels to butt and knees to chest, head turned with fist on chin. Her friend said "ohhh, cute" and proceeded to take some photos presumable to be shared on social media later. The pose really was cute, I bet it got lots of likes or hearts. I don't know why this particular encounter among the hundreds of people I passed stuck with me and made an impression, but it did. I probably passed a hundred more people on the way down, probably more. The road out was lined with cars, .7 miles down the road from the trailhead. There were hundreds of people up there that day, and almost all of them missed out on an amazing sunrise! It was a great morning, and good reminder that I don't like crowds or popular places. smile.gif
I count 48
I count 48
34 here
34 here
Larch
Larch
Hide and seek
Hide and seek

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wildcat
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wildcat
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PostThu Oct 17, 2019 11:22 am 
great pictures!

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geyer
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geyer
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PostThu Oct 17, 2019 12:07 pm 
Love the sunburst photos Aaron! Another great sunrise mission

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wildcat
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wildcat
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PostThu Oct 17, 2019 12:11 pm 
I liked those too, although "Overcast" might be my favorite

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Backpacker Joe
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Backpacker Joe
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PostThu Oct 17, 2019 12:14 pm 
Great pics. Whats with the party and Ingalls?

"If destruction be our lot we must ourselves be its author and finisher. As a nation of freemen we must live through all time or die by suicide." — Abraham Lincoln
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Michael Lewis
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Michael Lewis
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PostThu Oct 17, 2019 2:46 pm 
splendid sunrise!

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awilsondc
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awilsondc
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PostThu Oct 17, 2019 6:27 pm 
Backpacker Joe wrote:
Whats with the party and Ingalls?
Probably social media. Relatively easy hike, short drive, prime larch season on a Saturday... I was expecting crowds and indeed they showed up.

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