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canyonwalkerOn Saturday morning we got a later start than expected. It was already 11:30am when we started hiking. But the days are still plenty long, and the weather was beautiful.
I'm not sure this area is properly called the Grouse Lakes Basin. That's what I call it.
The only area name on the Forest Service map at the trailhead is the Grouse Ridge Non-Motorized Area. Look, I've been to the top of Grouse Ridge. I've hiked along it. I've hiked beneath it. There's nothing special about Grouse Ridge. What is special here is the seemingly endless number of small and not-so-small lakes beneath granite ridges. Hence, the Grouse Lakes Basin.
We started hiking at the Carr-Feeley trailhead. You can see it on the map above, where some clown has used a black pen to highlight the trail. And even this trail is misnamed. The Round Lake Trail? Round Lake is, at best, the 13th most interesting lake in this area. And it's not even round. I mean, look at the map. It's shaped like an avocado. A squished avocado.
But enough about Round Lake and things that are misnamed. We're not even going to Round Lake today. I mean, why would we go? Like I said, there are at least 12 prettier lakes. 😂
One of those prettier lakes is right next to us as we start the lake. It's Carr Lake. Seeing Carr Lake is practically free. It's right there within the first 50 meters or so of hiking. It's worth exploring around Carr Lake— we've done that in the past— but it's not our priority today.
Just as Carr Lake disappears behind your back when hiking this trail, you climb a slight rise to the edge of Feeley Lake.
Feeley Lake has a pretty good water level today. A few times in the past we've been here in drought years and the water's edge is 50' in from this spot. On the flip side, after wet winters, especially when we come earlier in the summer, we've clambered over snowbanks around Feeley Lake.
Today, though, we're not here for the lake. We're here for what's beyond it. That peak behind it is Fall Creek Mountain, and we're hoping to make it to the top. It's almost 1,000' up from here.
The route is nothing if not scenic. After passing along the south shore of Feeley Lake we climb a low ridge and pass Delaney Pond (above). Shortly after Delaney Pond we drop slightly into a bowl for Little Island Lake (below).
I'm not sure if this is officially called Little Island Lake. It's not marked on the maps I've consulted. But it's right next to the much larger Island Lake— which, BTW, has multiple islands in it and thus should be called Islands Lake— and has one island in it. Hence, Little Island Lake. I swear, the Forest Service should be paying me to name things in their damn forest instead of whatever squished-avocado-eating, unable-to-count-past-one fool they hired years ago.
To be continued....
Update: To Island Lake and beyond!
I'm not sure this area is properly called the Grouse Lakes Basin. That's what I call it.
The only area name on the Forest Service map at the trailhead is the Grouse Ridge Non-Motorized Area. Look, I've been to the top of Grouse Ridge. I've hiked along it. I've hiked beneath it. There's nothing special about Grouse Ridge. What is special here is the seemingly endless number of small and not-so-small lakes beneath granite ridges. Hence, the Grouse Lakes Basin.
We started hiking at the Carr-Feeley trailhead. You can see it on the map above, where some clown has used a black pen to highlight the trail. And even this trail is misnamed. The Round Lake Trail? Round Lake is, at best, the 13th most interesting lake in this area. And it's not even round. I mean, look at the map. It's shaped like an avocado. A squished avocado.
But enough about Round Lake and things that are misnamed. We're not even going to Round Lake today. I mean, why would we go? Like I said, there are at least 12 prettier lakes. 😂
One of those prettier lakes is right next to us as we start the lake. It's Carr Lake. Seeing Carr Lake is practically free. It's right there within the first 50 meters or so of hiking. It's worth exploring around Carr Lake— we've done that in the past— but it's not our priority today.
Just as Carr Lake disappears behind your back when hiking this trail, you climb a slight rise to the edge of Feeley Lake.
Feeley Lake has a pretty good water level today. A few times in the past we've been here in drought years and the water's edge is 50' in from this spot. On the flip side, after wet winters, especially when we come earlier in the summer, we've clambered over snowbanks around Feeley Lake.
Today, though, we're not here for the lake. We're here for what's beyond it. That peak behind it is Fall Creek Mountain, and we're hoping to make it to the top. It's almost 1,000' up from here.
The route is nothing if not scenic. After passing along the south shore of Feeley Lake we climb a low ridge and pass Delaney Pond (above). Shortly after Delaney Pond we drop slightly into a bowl for Little Island Lake (below).
I'm not sure if this is officially called Little Island Lake. It's not marked on the maps I've consulted. But it's right next to the much larger Island Lake— which, BTW, has multiple islands in it and thus should be called Islands Lake— and has one island in it. Hence, Little Island Lake. I swear, the Forest Service should be paying me to name things in their damn forest instead of whatever squished-avocado-eating, unable-to-count-past-one fool they hired years ago.
To be continued....
Update: To Island Lake and beyond!
