Bottom Line:

The larches around Lake Ann are at peak - GO NOW! This was an unexpectedly beautiful spot - do not miss the descent into the lake basin to explore the lake and the larch grove. From the pass overlooking the lake, there are amazing mountain views, and a sea of golden larches below to the northwest. Glacier Peak and Mt Rainier are both visible (glowing in the fading light as sunset approached), as is Mt Daniel and other familiar peaks. The trail itself is the perfect fall hike with golden grasses and ferns blanketing the open forest floor, and splashes of red, orange and yellow near and far. The steel gray skies perfectly set off the fall color! It is also great for later afternoon, with southwest facing slopes keeping the sun, while Lake Ingalls descends into shade. The trail is moderate until the spur to Lake Ann, which is steeper and rocky. 

Stats:

• Distance: 9-1/2 miles (with descent into lake basin)
• Vertical: 2530 ft (some up-and-down)
• Duration: ~ 4 hours
• Road/Parking: NF 9737 is in good condition, with some washboard surfaces mainly in the downhill lane; it is doable by any car. There are narrow sections where one car will need to yield to opposing traffic. The Esmeralda trailhead has limited parking (~20 cars) with overflow onto the road (downhill side only). The road of course becomes even narrower with overflow parkers, so be prepared to possibly backup some distance to an empty turnout should you encounter opposing traffic near the trailhead. This weekend is likely to be a zoo... one will need to manage expectations! On a Friday afternoon, was able to park in the lot, and by the time we returned only a handful of cars remained. Toilets available, and National Forest Pass required.
• Weather: Mostly cloudy with some light sprinkles; the steel gray skies were perfect for the fall color! The clouds broke for a bit at Ann Lake for sunset. No wind. 40-50Fs. Arriving at the trailhead mid-afternoon, this is likely a better choice than Ingalls due to the southwest facing exposure that will keep the sun while Ingalls basin becomes shady. We had beautiful glowing skies the entire way back, hiking just the last 30 minutes or so in the dark. Fall hiking East of the crest is somewhat more comfortable as it gets dark due to the drier conditions.
• Water: There is plenty of water for filtering for the first 3 miles of the ascent; we did not carry water
• Larches: Peak golden color - it does not get any better than this! Considering that other reports said trees were still lime-green 5 days ago, the color is not likely to last long. NOTE: As you ascend, you may think (as I did), "I do not see any larches!" Only when you reach and look over the pass will you see larches - it was a surprise!
• Trail: The trail is in good condition. There are numerous stream crossings, areas of mud, and a few down trees. The trail heads northwest across the valley with an easy thread and incline, until hitting a set of switchbacks to attain the headwall of the valley. The well-marked spur to Lake Ann is found at the top of the switchbacks, and takes a more direct, steeper and rocky approach to attain the pass above the Lake Ann basin. The perch at the pass is AMAZING - what a picturesque spot - would love to camp here. The descent into the lake basin is a little steep and gravelly - pay attention to your footing while enthralled with the beautiful multi-colored Lake Ann and its fringing golden larches. Probably best to get off the spur before it gets dark, but no problem with the Esmeralda Basin trail with a headlamp. Overall, it was quiet - we did not see anyone for hours after a few folks near the trailhead.
• Takeaway: First timer on this trail, and I will definitely be back, both for the beautiful fall conditions in Esmeralda basin, as well as the early season hiking among snowy peaks while we wait for higher elevation snow to melt. The trail does cross a number of avalanche chutes. This trail will likely have snow a week from now.

I will try to post a video of this hike later today ;)

We set off for Lake Ingalls in pursuit of peaking larch trees. With four days to explore we backpacked to Lake Ingalls, up to Stuart Pass, north along the Jack Creek Trail, and back south on the Van Epps and Lake Ann trails before returning along the Esmeralda Basin Trail. Our adventure included stunning views, a spectacular display of the Aurora Borealis, challenging travel through a burn area, a road walk, historical mines, and a riot of fall colors—plus a memorable traffic jam on our way out Sunday.

We began from the Esmeralda Trailhead on Thursday afternoon. Though cars were parked along the road, we secured a spot in the trailhead parking lot. The hike to Ingalls Pass was steep, gaining 2,350 feet over 3.2 miles along a rocky, sun-soaked trail. Upon reaching the pass, the larch trees greeted us in all their golden glory. We continued along the upper trail to our camping area, which had surprisingly few sites; many were closed for restoration. (Note: There are reportedly more options in Headlight Basin along the lower trail.)

Later that night we were rewarded with a breathtaking aurora display from approximately 3 to 4 AM. 

After a stunning sunrise, we ascended to Lake Ingalls, scrambled along its west side, and up to Stuart Pass, where we were treated to panoramic views of the Ingalls and Jack Creek basins. As we descended, the forest floor was alive with the vibrant yellows and reds of fall foliage. However, we soon encountered the aftermath of the 2017 Jack Creek fire. Compared to other burned trails lacking maintenance, this area was relatively manageable. We lost the trail once and navigated through chest-high fireweed that released fluffy white tufts into the air and onto us.

Emerging from the burn area, we camped near the junction of the Jack Creek and Van Epps trails. Soon returning to the burn area, the ascent up the Van Epps Trail was more challenging. We lost the trail and weaved over, under, and around downed trees and thick brush. Finally, finding a trail out of the burn, we reached the Van Epps mining area, where we explored the historical site. Note: The portions of the Van Epps trail we did find did not closely follow the USGS/USFS map trail. At the north end, it was closer to the creek. Near the mine, it dropped to cross Van Epps Creek and we followed a gravel road up to the mine.

The road walk up to Van Epps pass provided a welcome break from the morning’s challenges. We detoured near the pass to an overlook with magnificent views and to the Benita Mine, where we encountered a group in Jeeps. Although the mine adit had a small opening, the water inside deterred us from attempting to squeeze through.

Once back on the Lake Ann Trail, we were surrounded by a lovely forest and a colorful understory. Soon, we arrived at the stunning Lake Ann, where larch trees lined the shores and an ideal campsite offered breathtaking views for both sunset and sunrise.

Leaving Lake Ann, we detoured to Fortune Creek Pass and scrambled up to a higher viewpoint (marked Tip Top mine - no mine in sight) with sweeping views down to Gallagher Head Lake and westward toward the Cascade Range.

The hike down was filled with frequent stops, as we pulled over to let the waves of uphill hikers pass by. Many appeared to be first-timers, curious about the elusive larches that only became visible upon reaching the pass above Lake Ann.

The drive back was an experience in itself. Cars lined the road for 1.5 miles from the trailhead, almost reaching De Roux Campground. We found ourselves stuck at one point as uphill cars met downhill traffic, and parked vehicles on both sides blocked our passage. Fortunately, it cleared up in about five minutes, and we were finally free to head home.

I don't think I subscribe to the idea of "larch madness", but I do have some light larch interest. For example, what color are larches anyway? Gold? Yellow? Green? They kind of remind me of Lemon-Lime flavored Gatorade. It's a tough color to nail down right now. Color is indeed a spectrum.

Anyways, I'm generally kinda misanthropic with trendy locations and practices in the outdoor genre, but my partner requested a larch hike, so we got after it! Inspired by fellow trip reporter and friend nwroth's recent visit to Lake Ann, we headed east with hopes to visit a marginally less chaotic larchish hike.

We arrived at the Lake Ann/Ingalls trailhead around 8 a.m. to a full lot, but there was plenty of room along the immediate shoulder -- we didn't have to walk more than a hundred feet or so until we hit the trail. Most of the traffic dispersed as soon as we made the turn off towards Lake Ann.

In my opinion, the trail is in great shape. It offers stunning views of Rainier and Glacier Peak, plus numerous other craggy mountains, golden meadows and rocky walls. It's easy to find and easy to walk — the meager 500 feet elevation gain per mile is enough to work up your heart rate, but graded enough to hold a full conversation. The only area with potentially tricky footing was at the pass before descending to Lake Ann, and even then it's only for a few feet.

The lake itself is small and beautiful. We only saw one tent there. Larches aren't quite in their full golden splendor, but they brought awe and appreciation to my outing regardless. All hikers we met were friendly and respectful, and we only saw one (only one!!!!) bag of dog poop the entire trip. We enjoyed hot chocolate and biscotti at the lake for about 90 minutes before heading back to the car.

Navigating the parking lot and road on the way out was a bit of a zoo. Folks were parked for at least a mile down the road, and I got a big kick out of noticing which vehicles were willing to park "off road" and which were willing to disregard no parking signs. Overall, great hike. I hope to visit again next fall or maybe spring.

Distance: 9.13 miles
Elevation gain: 2,526 feet
Moving time: 3:23

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! 

A short midweek backpack in search of waking up in the mountains: check.

Shoutout to old roads and horse-friendly trails - most of the route to Lake Ann is a lovely, moderately-graded trail that allowed me to hike continuously basically to the turn off for Lake Ann. I just stopped for photos a couple times.

From the turnoff, the trail gets considerably rockier and a bit steeper, though certainly nothing unmanageable. It narrows a bit through a plateau area, then really kicks into higher gear just below the pass.

On the other side of the pass is where things get really pretty. Personally, I think Esmeralda Basin is a snoozefest, but it leads to some really remote-feeling country. Someday I'd like to try to loop it with Van Epps Pass and Jack Creek Trail, but today was not that day.

The trail into the basin is scramble-adjacent for the first few hundred feet. I didn't use poles, just stepped carefully, but sort of wished I'd had them. The view was lovely; I don't think pictures do Lake Ann justice. I was sort of assuming it'd be underwhelming but it was actually quite pretty. 

Down at the lake, there are several possible spots for a tent, but none are very large. Past the lake, there are more spots in an open area on the left with a nice view of the mountains.

It was already 5 30p when I got to the lake, so I set up camp quickly, then walked a little further along the trail (away from the lake) to find a last patch of sun to sit in for dinner. I had cold dinner, so ate that while I warmed up some water for....hot water, it turns out. (I forgot my tea and extra coffee, hrmph.)

The light went at about 7 10 and I headed back to my tent to warm up. I ended up reading for quite a while (the one thing about fall hiking is how early it gets dark) but finally fell asleep around 11. It was COLD - definitely below freezing, but my bag was very warm, and the only thing that woke me up was tossing and turning. Strangely, my tent was forming frost on the inside when I fell asleep, and I could tell the foot of it was wet, but when I woke up in the morning, everything was dry and it felt notably warmer (though certainly not actually warm).

This morning I woke up at 6 intending to get moving quickly, only to realize the sun wasn't going to rise until 7 10. I wanted to see sunrise, so I dressed and packed as much as I could before starting hot water again. I packed my bag and had my one coffee pack (bad, do not recommend Mycobrew) while I watched the mountains emerge.

Striking camp was quick, though I managed to cut two fingers trying to pull my tent stakes out of the frozen ground, so I lost some time bandaging my hands. Dinked around on the way up to the pass to get more pictures, and then at the pass itself realized I could see four volcanoes!! Glacier Peak, Mount Rainier, Mount Adams and Mount St. Helens. Not to mention of course the many other visible peaks.

With that very nice bonus, I headed downhill fast. I had a noon appointment in Seattle and 4.2 miles to go (plus 2.5 hrs of driving). 

Lake Ingalls is popular as ever. I saw one person on his way to Lake Ann (or Fortune Pass, who knows) but past the Lake Ingalls turnoff I saw 3 people, and there were at least 7 people getting ready in the parking lot. There were probably 16 cars, and I had been the only one at Lake Ann, so likely everyone else was Ingalls-bound.