This was a totally fantastic August trip! We started from the Lake Ethel trailhead around noon. It was a lot of up on a very hot day, but the reward was definitely worth it! There was a perfect spot for a group camp setup at the lake with easy access. We only passed several people on day hikes and had the whole lake to ourselves (and the meeping pika) on Friday night.
The next day, our crew headed out for a beautiful day hike to see the rest of the Scottish lakes. We stopped and had lunch at Loch Eileen and watched the fish before heading up following the cairns to Lake Donald.
Lake Donald is by far my new happy place. We had all of the lakes to ourselves on a gorgeous Saturday afternoon and spent the rest of the day lounging in the sun and swimming in Lake Donald.
There were several downed trees along the trail and bugs were a bit annoying, but it was a mixture of gnats, mosquitos, and deer flies, so I guess not all of them bite...?
I was stoked about the solitude of the area even on a gorgeous summer weekend. The hike is challenging but the payoff is totally worth it! I kind of wish I didn't tell you all about it...
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