Trip Report
Day Hike - Colchuck Lake
A day hike to an iconic alpine lake on a cool and sunny day in late October.
Walter Christiansen
- Tue, Oct 29, 2024
- Colchuck Lake
- Day Hiking
- Successful
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- Road suitable for all vehicles
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The trail is in good condition with no significant issues. A light dusting of snow was encountered at the log bridge after the trail split for Stuart Lake (around 4300 feet), but the footing remained solid. The dusting of snow continued off and on up to the lake but was never a problem.
Weather: Sunny and about 32°F at the trailhead at 9 a.m., with slightly increasing clouds in the afternoon. The mid-day temperature at the lake was about 40°F, but felt cooler with the breeze and the sun behind the peaks.
Views around Colchuck Lake were spectacular (as always). I was struck by the low water level in the lake, but don’t know if this is typical for late fall or was related to some ongoing work around the dam at the lake outlet.
IMO, the lighting for taking pictures was not the best due to the position of the sun -- just above Aasgard Pass at 11 a.m. and skirting the summit of Dragontail Peak at 12 noon. The low angle of the sun put almost all of the lake in the shadow of Dragontail Peak at mid-day.
GPS recorded 8.6 miles with 2450 feet elevation gain and 5.1 hours total hike time.