LAKE INGALLS | 19 AUG

Everyone knows by now that smoke is pretty much unavoidable anywhere in the Pacific Northwest. With a change of my night shift track, I now get eight days off to explore and hike. Except...going outside is not advisable. I spent Friday driving up to the North Cascades, hoping that there would be an escape from the smoke as there had been two week prior. The plan: day hike north on the PCT. That even, Hart's Pass was closed and evacuated due to a fire at Holman Pass. The smoke was thick from Twisp to Newhalem. Once I gained cell service again, I checked air quality levels.

I drove down to Cle Elum area as the air quality levels were moderate/yellow at the time. There were plenty of camping spots leading up to the trailhead: larger developed campgrounds (29 Pines), smaller campgrounds (Beverley), and many dispersed sites. The road up to the trailhead is well maintained, a few rough spots and construction, but any car could make it as long as they aren't hugging the ground.

I found a spot to call home for the night, set up camp, and relaxed in my hammock as the temperatures cooled. Bugs were nearly non-existent. No noisy neighbors. It was perfect (minus the one group that decided they had to have a campfire during a burn ban).

The next morning, the air quality was a bit worse, but still better than back home.

The trail is mostly exposed the entire trip, with scattered patches of forest. The day started out at 50-60 degrees and the sun was partly shielded by smoke, offering a pleasant retreat from the normally scalding hot temperatures of Eastern Washington.

At the junction, I decided to take the left fork which was a little longer, but had less elevation change overall. With some decent scrambling and following of cairns the last half mile or so, and I finally made it to the lake. Mt Stuart was barely visible in the background.

THE LAKE

On the way down, I decided on the alternate route for some different views (and a few many curse words on the final ascent). As the day went on, it was pretty clear that the quality had deteriorated (thank goodness for downhill and less work on the lungs). 

No mountain goats today.