My plan had to change when I stopped at Verlot and found out that the road to Cutthroat Lakes was washed out leaving a 5+ mile road walk to the TH. Ok so plan B, which I didn't have. Ranger suggested Indy which would include a shorter road hike due to another washout.
The car made it to Beaver Creek than I was on foot beyond the washout. The views along the road were good, views of Big Four were awesome!! What a big bahemith (sp?) that mt is!!! Not sure of the other mt names but the views of those were great too. Passed the short trail to Coal Lake and pressed on. MAde it to the Indy TH in about an hour from the car. Trail starts with a short series of switchbacks but gain elevation quick. LAter on one loses about 200 feet of gain but make it up shortly thereafter. MAde it to the lake in an hour and proceeded to the north side to find the trail to NOrth Lake. Trail was a little hard to find with snowcover but managed and found the trail with minimal effort. I passed a huge cedar tree, the 100 Hikes book mentions this big closet in disguise. At about 4300' or so found consistant snow and followed what would seem like a logical route for the trail. Periodically I would see the trail within feet of my location, cool. Skirted a waterfall and ended up at this big tarn at about 4800'. Great views of 3 Fingers and Whitehorse, good spot for the night. The tarn was melted out about 5-10%, enough for me to get some water.
Slept like crap and got up at about 6:00 and packed up and headed down. Tried to take a pic but my camera wouldn't turn on completely. Display said "Lens error, restart camera" not a good sign. Tried again with the same result, crap!!!!!! So much for adding to my picture arsonal. Back at the Indy TH I saw that someone had written "Ryan" in the gravel with an arrow pointing down the road. Was this for me, done by a moron who forgot the "B", but how would someone know my name, or part of it unless my car had been broken into? Now I'm getting a little bummed out, first my camera and now maybe my car....... I'm thinking "What kind of sick person would break into a car then travel 2 miles on foot to leave a message in the gravel, it seemed a little to far fetched, but in the day of chrystal meth anything is possible. Returned to a safe car with all it's windows and full tires, whew!!
Got home and checked my camera and SD Card, both are junk Damn, I had some good pics of the mountains and the melting tarn, aargh!!! I'm just glad I didn't drop it into a creek and have it wash away from me....... (couldn't resist Mag)
Got home safely though, that's the important part, alive to hike another trail.
You were just below the pass where the trail drops down to North Lake. Next time look for a blotch of yellow spray paint in talus above and just west of the tarn. That's the way.
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