Synchro, Ford and me headed out yesterday morning up to the Carbon River area to go hiking. Summit Lake might be a short hike, but it is a sweet hike in my book. With a very nice payoff at the end.
Did find the road secription on the MBNF website to be a hoot - I believe they warn of rd #7810 that "you might be able with 4 wheel drive to get to the TH." The road is actually in pretty good shape, with no real scary dropoffs. Sure it is very rocky, but almost no potholes. But I can see how one could get turned around up there as the roads are NOT marked at junctions. The final 2 miles are fun, driving through a tunnel of overgrown trees. A big to the Honda Civic at the TH!
We got on the trail and enjoyed the hike up to Twin Lake through the old growth forest. Found the motherlode of very juicy, ripe huckleberries at the lake. Headed up a little and found the missing "twin' lake that is turning into a meadow. We could see where the deer had bedded down for the night. Basically it's a nice gently graded trail that winds along a ridge through a subalpine forest and some hillside meadows. The views of Rainer through the trees was a bonus. Came to the lake basin, and crossed over 2 meadows by the side of a small almost dried up tarn. The views of Rainer there are just fabu. went down to Summit Lake to have lunch. That is a very pretty lake-the blueness of the water and being able to see at least 20 ft. down. The lake is down just enough that you can walk about 75% around the lake on rock bed. We sat on our Ridge rest seats and had a lazy lunch while Ford tossed rocks. Watched an eagle fly over. Listened to the wind. Stared at the red heather. Then slowly realized if we didn't get going I was going to take a nap It was that relaxing.
Well worth the drive.
And of course we porked out again on berries on the way down.....
"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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"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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The road is actually in pretty good shape, with no real scary dropoffs. Sure it is very rocky, but almost no potholes. But I can see how one could get turned around up there as the roads are NOT marked at junctions. The final 2 miles are fun, driving through a tunnel of overgrown trees. A big 
to the Honda Civic at the TH!
We got on the trail and enjoyed the hike up to Twin Lake through the old growth forest. Found the motherlode of very juicy, ripe huckleberries at the lake. Headed up a little and found the missing "twin' lake that is turning into a meadow. We could see where the deer had bedded down for the night. Basically it's a nice gently graded trail that winds along a ridge through a subalpine forest and some hillside meadows. The views of Rainer through the trees was a bonus. Came to the lake basin, and crossed over 2 meadows by the side of a small almost dried up tarn. The views of Rainer there are just fabu. went down to Summit Lake to have lunch. That is a very pretty lake-the blueness of the water and being able to see at least 20 ft. down. The lake is down just enough that you can walk about 75% around the lake on rock bed. We sat on our Ridge rest seats and had a lazy lunch while Ford tossed rocks. Watched an eagle fly over. Listened to the wind. Stared at the red heather. Then slowly realized if we didn't get going I was going to take a nap 
It was that relaxing.
Well worth the drive.
And of course we porked out again on berries on the way down.....
