Beautiful fall hike to Lake Ann with clear skies and mountain views. Larches were just starting to yellow, but plenty of other vegetation was in full fall colors. We arrived around 8:30am to a full trailhead with cars parked maybe 1/4 mile down the road, but I estimate that about 90% of hikers turned off for Ingalls. The Esmerelda basin/Lake Ann trails were quiet and pleasant, even on a sunny Saturday - seems like a hidden gem if you can brave the crowded trailhead. By the time we left around 1:30, cars were parking well over a mile down the road, so account for some extra distance on a busy day.
The trail was in great condition with only a few muddy spots, and the views once you start climbing to Lake Ann were stunning. We (like many others) opted to have lunch and turn around at the pass above Lake Ann as that's where the view is most impressive - the lake, the larches, Rainier, Glacier Peak, and the rest of the Cascades all around. Would highly recommend this hike if you'd like to see some larches but not many other people!
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