Forum Index > Trip Reports > (Lower) Grace Lake 30-AUG-2009
 Reply to topic
Previous :: Next Topic
Author Message
chiwakum
not credible



Joined: 29 Jun 2009
Posts: 980 | TRs | Pics
Location: Ballard
chiwakum
not credible
PostTue Sep 01, 2009 10:19 pm 
I somehow tricked GoodAg into getting up at 4:30A to go on a dayhike with me. I'm pretty sure she wouldn't have agreed to come along if I had given her a more accurate estimate of trip length (I'm a notorious underestimator). We decided to do Grace Lake because we both wanted to get some decent mileage in and GoodAg had not been there before. We started at the White Pine TH around 8A, connected with the Wildhorse (roughly 3mi in) and followed it to within approx. 3/4mi of Frosty pass to the Grace Lake "trail" junction (5400ft). This trail is not maintained and has deteriorated significantly since last year. But the route is straightforward in this open high country and losing/regaining the trail does not pose much of a problem. On the way to the lake the trail climbs gently to the horse camp basin at roughly 5600 ft before climbing more steeply to a ridge (6300ft) leading to the lake basin. I don't recommend trying off trail routes to/from the lake basin until you have visited the area at least once the "easy" way. The first time I was in the area I got caught up in some tricky cliff bands with a 55lb pack and ripped out the back of a pair of my favorite shorts (the 3rd pair destroyed that year). I was really impressed with GoodAg. She was quite the trooper to crank out a more demanding day hike like this given that she is fighting a painful case of Morton's Neuroma (sp) in her right foot and has been limited to a handful of short hikes this season. But she was still speaking to me at the end of the day so maybe she'll hike with me again. And she seems to finally have figured out how to get trout off her hook all on her own. Hurray for GoodAg! There were plenty of friendly cutthroat but they all seemed to be under 10" (the dumb ones anyway). Stats: 20mi round trip (my pretrip estimate was 17 but our hiking time makes 20 more likely) Trail issues: None Elevation: 6300ft highpoint, trail head 2800ft, minor ups and downs Berries: Plentiful but at or past their peak so don't wait too long Bugs: Not too bad at the lakes but whenever stopping along the trail on the way back we realized the evil bug apocalypse was still upon us. This can help reduce hiking time.
Grace lakes trail
Grace lakes trail
Horse camp basin below lakes basin
Horse camp basin below lakes basin
Looking back towards the horse camp on the climb up to Grace
Looking back towards the horse camp on the climb up to Grace
Ridge above Grace
Ridge above Grace
Lower Grace Lakes
Lower Grace Lakes
Cutthroat
Cutthroat
Lake 1
Lake 1
GoodAg trying to figure out how to talk the fish into self release
GoodAg trying to figure out how to talk the fish into self release
Looking towards the outlet
Looking towards the outlet
Hanging basin
Hanging basin
Descending ridge south of Grace Lake
Descending ridge south of Grace Lake
Humungus Fungus and GoodAgs Hand
Humungus Fungus and GoodAgs Hand
Looks like someone got a little carried away with the huckleberries
Looks like someone got a little carried away with the huckleberries
GoodAg ready to kill if her beer and burger don't show up SOON
GoodAg ready to kill if her beer and burger don't show up SOON
Ahhh, cask conditioned
Ahhh, cask conditioned

Back to top Reply to topic Reply with quote Send private message
Good Ag
Member
Member


Joined: 05 Sep 2007
Posts: 12 | TRs | Pics
Location: Ballard
Good Ag
Member
PostWed Sep 02, 2009 11:19 am 
Thanks for submitting. Your pics turned out very nice.

Back to top Reply to topic Reply with quote Send private message
Meander
J Prettymountain



Joined: 15 Jul 2006
Posts: 288 | TRs | Pics
Location: Seattle
Meander
J Prettymountain
PostWed Sep 02, 2009 12:34 pm 
Cool, That is a nice looong dayhike! Especially with time for berry picking and fishing. I was just on the Whitehorse trail to Deadhorse pass and wondered what those lakes are like. Didn't see anyone all day, looks like you didn't either.

Back to top Reply to topic Reply with quote Send private message
chiwakum
not credible



Joined: 29 Jun 2009
Posts: 980 | TRs | Pics
Location: Ballard
chiwakum
not credible
PostWed Sep 02, 2009 2:26 pm 
Meander wrote:
Cool, That is a nice looong dayhike! Especially with time for berry picking and fishing. I was just on the Whitehorse trail to Deadhorse pass and wondered what those lakes are like. Didn't see anyone all day, looks like you didn't either.
I love this trail. And it is generally very lonesome. The lakes are very nice but maybe too long a trip for many people in a single day (keeps it from getting loved to death). Although we didn't feel very rushed, enough time to fish, swim and eat berries and got back to the car with plenty of daylight remaining. We didn't have enough time to take very good pics and I just operated in taking snapshots on the move mode so the pics are disappointing... There was a group of 3 dudes camping at the lake and we ran into a pair on hikers coming out from the lakes on the way in. Deadhorse Pass is cool ain't it??

Back to top Reply to topic Reply with quote Send private message
Meander
J Prettymountain



Joined: 15 Jul 2006
Posts: 288 | TRs | Pics
Location: Seattle
Meander
J Prettymountain
PostWed Sep 02, 2009 4:29 pm 
Yes, I really enjoyed it! Lots of roaming in that area. I think Deadhorse is 15 RT, so a little bit shorter!

Back to top Reply to topic Reply with quote Send private message
chiwakum
not credible



Joined: 29 Jun 2009
Posts: 980 | TRs | Pics
Location: Ballard
chiwakum
not credible
PostWed Sep 02, 2009 8:27 pm 
Meander wrote:
Yes, I really enjoyed it! Lots of roaming in that area. I think Deadhorse is 15 RT, so a little bit shorter!
15 Rt sounds about right. I guessed 8 mi to go from whitepine TH to wildhorse, over deadhorse pass, down to larch lake and back up deadhorse. Deadhorse from WP TH is a great dayhike. I'm definitely going to do that next year (did it as an overnight this year camping in the pretty basin just west of deadhorse).

Back to top Reply to topic Reply with quote Send private message
   All times are GMT - 8 Hours
 Reply to topic
Forum Index > Trip Reports > (Lower) Grace Lake 30-AUG-2009
  Happy Birthday speyguy, Bandanabraids!
Jump to:   
Search this topic:

You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot vote in polls in this forum