Snowshoeing to Lake Agnes
The weather was calm in the mountains this weekend so we decided to get up high for possibly the last snowshoe of the season. This hike starts around 10,000ft in elevation which means the small forest road to get to the summer parking lot would still be closed, so we parked in front of the gate and started our 6 mile hike. Since the road was still closed it meant we had to take the long route by hiking 2 miles on the forest road to get to the summer parking lot. Once we made it to the summer parking lot we had less than a mile to the lake.
It wasn't until we made it to the summer parking lot that we needed our snowshoes. The top layer of snow was still frozen from the night before, but after we made it to the summer lot we had to put our snowshoes on. It was nice to at least make it 2/3 of the way up without snowshoes since it's harder to trek with snowshoes on.
There were only a handful of people up here on this hike. Since it's so far away from any major city, only serious people hike this. We only saw three other groups which was nice to enjoy nature without any crowds that the lower elevation hikes surely had. The weather was great, just a little breezy but the wind was welcomed in the sunny 50-60 degree temperature. Those warm temperatures melted a lot of snow and left my shoes soaked though to my socks completely. That wasn't great, but since the temperatures were cooperative it was only a little uncomfortable (and not dangerous).
6.17 mi
4.1 hrs
10,714 ft
1,316 ft
The Crags
The cool thing about this area are the Noku Crags, a pointy, jaggy set of mountains unlike many others in the area.
South Diamond Peak
We have hiked to the top of South Diamond Peak which is pictured in this view from the summer parking lot area. It's fun to see other peaks that we've summited.
Braddock Peak
One of the several peaks towering above Lake Agnes is Baddock Peak. From the meadow after the summer parking lot we could see it very clearly.
Embracing Nature
We made it to the lake and the weather was gorgeous. Slight wind but full sun and at least in the mid 50's. Perfect.
Lake Agnes Panorama
The lighting was harsh but it was gorgeous nonetheless.
Dead Tree
We used this tree to hang our packs on while we explored the lake. While I was waiting for Katie to get her snowshoes on I took a few photos.
White Bark
This dying tree provided a few cool photo opportunities. The white bark with the blue sky was a perfect contrast.
South Diamond Peak Again
On the way back we were hiking towards South Diamond Peak. With the sun a little higher it provided better lighting to capture the iron hues in the mountain.
