Ice Creek - Ice Lakes — Friday, Jul. 1, 2005

Central Cascades > Entiat Mountains/Lake Chelan

Trail is in great condition all the way to Ice Lakes. 6 water crossings on rocks or trees. We followed the Entiat River 8 miles before crossing. The main log is OK, though slippery. Plenty of other logs just upstream that would also work. From this junction Ice Cr is crossed twice. For the first crossing we went downstream ~ 10 yards to some small logs. Second crossing on large tree. After this crossing the trail is underwater for ~25 yards. From here the views open up and Ice Cr camp is in easy reach. From the camp the trail climbs up the valley along the creek. 2 more easy crossings before a steep climb to the lower lake - some mud on trail. The trail from to the lake is faint, stay left of the rockslide and look for occasional cairns. Great camps at lower Ice lake, just a few snowpatches here and there. An obvious trail heads east around the lower lake to gain a ramp to the upper lake, however its easier to head west from the lower lake and ascent near the outlet of the upper lake The upper lake is 1/2 frozen still. From the upper lake the ascent of Mt Maude (9060') is ""trivial"" (according to FB). Some snow above the lake, but the south slope is snowfree and a trail ascends the left edge of the slope.