Trip Report
Day Hike - Scatter Lake and Abernathy Peak
A very nice hike to a beautiful lake basin with golden larch trees just past their peak color. And for those that demand more, there is a steep and challenging (but not technical) bootpath, much of it through loose scree, up to the summit of Abernathy Peak.
Walter Christiansen
- Sun, Oct 13, 2024
- Scatter Lake
- Day Hiking
- Successful
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- Road suitable for all vehicles
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The trail to Scatter Lake is in good condition. The first mile is especially nice as the brush along the trail has been cut back. But the trail over the next 1.5-2 miles was frequently narrow and very brushy, for which I was very glad to be wearing long pants. I counted 24 blowdowns across the first 3 miles of the trail, but it felt much less than 24 as only 4 blowdowns required effort to cross.
There was no formal trail to Abernathy Peak, only a bootpath straight up the scree slope from Scatter Lake. The going was most difficult when the scree underfoot was loose -- one step uphill, one-half step slide downhill, and repeat. But about two-thirds of the way up the slope, better footing was found by traversing to the climber’s left and through a rocky outcrop, and then following a clear bootpath the remaining way to the summit.
Road/Parking: All cars can manage the 3.3 miles of gravel road (it is wide, but slightly bumpy due to washboarding). About 10-12 cars can fit in the small parking area, and there is room for shoulder parking along the short access road and FR4400. There were 7 cars in the lot at 7:30 a.m. and 6 cars at 4:00 p.m. The vault toilet was clean, but not stocked.
Weather: A sunny Sunday, with trailhead temperatures of 35°F at 7:30 a.m. and 66°F at 4:00 p.m.
Scenic views keep the hiker's attention during the steady uphill climb, but the big payoff are the great views upon reaching the Scatter Lake basin. Below is the tarn along the trail, just before Scatter Lake.
Here is a picture of Scatter Lake, with the trail winding along the east shore of the lake and Abernathy Peak rising in the distance.
For those wanting more, the climb to Abernathy Peak adds about 0.6 miles and 1250 feet to your worn out legs. But don't forget to look behind you for nice views of Scatter Lake from the slope above.
If the climb to the top of Abernathy Peak doesn’t take your breath away, the views from the summit might as peaks galore await on a clear day - Gardner, Robinson, Jack, Eldorado, Black, Baker, Fernow, Glacier and many, many more.
GPS recorded 11.4 miles with 5240 feet elevation gain and 8.3 hours total hike time.