[Bootpathguy]

I've wanted to visit a rarely mentioned and a not so frequently visited lake that sits high above Snow and Melakwa Lakes. Chair Peak Lake. My initial plan was a "out & back" and I'll get back to that later I arrived at the Denny Creek Trailhead @ 7:25 am and hit the trail for Melakwa Lakes. I don't particularly enjoy this section of the trail for mainly one reason. I can hear I90 traffic during the 4 mile trek to Hemlock Pass. Once you crest the pass, the annoyance is gone completely. I passed one tandem team on the way up and it appeared that I was the first to arrive at the lakes. Noticed a couple tents on the far side of the lake. Melakwa water level is low and it actually had a exposed beach where the trail terminates at the lake. I stopped here briefly to capture some images and then continued to Upper Melakwa and onward to Melakwa Pass. No water flowing through the small creek from Upper to Lower Melakwa Crossed the above mentioned creek to the east side of Upper Melakwa and found the boot path heading up the valley to Melakwa Pass. The path disappears in the talus and boulder field at the head of the creek bed that flows into Upper Melakwa. There is a stand of trees up at the pass and I chose my own path in that direction. Choosing the most obvious route. Located a booth path once I reached the tree line and followed it to the top of Melakwa Pass. One you crest the pass...Bam! Chair Peak Lake is right there in all its bright blue glory. Scrambled down the very steep slope to the lake and made my way around the east shore to the outlet of Chair Peak Lake. Obvious boot path there. Good views of Snow Lake and you can see a piece of Gem Lake also. Lots of people and dogs down @ Snow Lake. How do I know? I could hear them. Bummer The climb / scramble from the Melakwa Lakes to Melakwa Pass isn't extremely difficult, but I'll also mention, its not a stroll in the park. Once I reached the north shore of Chair Peak Lake, I decided that a scramble / climb back up to Melakwa Pass and back down to Melakwa Lakes wasn't a journey I wanted to entertain nor did I want to return on the same trail. I decided to traverse over to Gem Lake and out the Snow Lake trailhead even after doing a little exploring and not finding a apparent route and also knowing that I had to get back to my truck which was parked at a entirely different trailhead. Honestly, I don't recall Aasgard Pass being any more difficult or strenuous than this route There is a extremely steep and loose talus / scree slope separating a ridge I could see that would lead me to Gem Lake. The ridge runs northeast and southwest. I said to hell with it and carried on. Made it across the loose scree to the ridge and found the boot path I'd assumed probably existed. From here looking to the nortwest, you can see Lower Wildcat Lake. I was serenaded by screaming folk and barking dogs all the way to Gem Lake. A person couldn't get lost here, even if they wanted to Followed the ridge to a elevated view of Gem Lake where I could see the outlet. Made my way down and onto the trail that I'm familiar with. Hit a very busy Snow Lake and continued on out to the Alpental parking lot. Grabbed a $5 bill out of my backpack, held it up with my thumb, and a very nice gentleman ( Adam ) and his wife, gave me a ride back to the Denny Creek Trailhead. The trail to Melakwa Lakes, and from Gem Lake past Snow Lake and back to the Alpental parking lot, in my opinion, are lackluster. The most enjoyable section is the route up to Melakwa Pass from the same named lakes and on over to Gem Lake. Very pretty, challenging with some route finding and I didn't encounter a single person on this section Denny Creek Trailhead to Melakwa Lakes 7:25 - 9:45 Melakwa Lakes to Chair Peak Lake outlet ( opposite northeast shore ) 9:45 - 11:25 Chair Peak Lake outlet to Gem Lake outlet 11:25 - 12:50 Gem Lake outlet to Snow Lake outlet 12:50 - 1:50 @ Alpental parking lot @ 3:45 13.2 miles 8hrs 20 min 5,223 feet max elevation I can now say, "Been there, done that". Once is enough

[DIYSteve]

Fun solo adventure

[DIYSteve]

I've never seen snowshoers on that route. I'd think it would be a poor route for snowshoes I have done the route on foot a couple times. The route on foot goes much easier earlier in the season when there is consolidated snow on the E flank of Mt. Roosevelt, which most years lingers into June and sometimes July. Also, one can avoid any really steep stuff via a close inspection of the 7.5' map. From the lake, most people ascend a bit over the hump NNE of the lake before starting the up-and-down traverse (on foot) or skiing down to Snow Lake (on skis). Sometimes the Chair Peak Lake outlet stream is in shape to ski.

[carlb328]

Of course I have to ask, did you see any fish in the lake?

[joker]

[DIYSteve]

joker, your recollection of the ascent to Bryant Col is spot on. The descent from Bryant Col to Melawka Lake is not too tough if you stay on the right line and avoid the avy debris. And, yeah, it's a tour for skiers with advanced skills, and much easier on modern rocker-tip skis. CP circumnav is an athletic endeavor whether on foot or ski. Fun to see a late season TR of the route The terrain from Melakwa Pass to near Gem Lake feels pretty wild for being so close to I-90. For the birders: I've seen Townsend's Solitaires on some of my trips in the area, including a breeding pair on a May ski tour a few years ago.

[Bootpathguy]

Sunrise & Wildfire Smoke

Giant Alpine Land Clam

Melakwa Lakes Looking Toward Melakwa Pass

Chair Peak Lake From Melakwa Pass

Chair Peak Lake

Steep Descent

Chair Peak Lake & Snow Lake

Steep Talus / Scree Between Chair Peak Lake & Gem Lake

Located Boot Path On Ridge

Screenshot_2015-08-23-15-09-45~3

Route I Chose. Chair Peak Lake To Gem Lake

Screenshot_2015-08-23-15-10-40~2

Route. Melakwa Lakes To Melakwa Pass

[silence]

Nice!