Lake Angeles 1-13-08

Rating: 3 of 5 stars
Distance: 8.2 miles Round Trip

Trailhead : 1900 feet (GPS N48 02.293 W123 25.988)

Highpoint: 4858 feet (GPS N48 00.460 W123 26.291)
Elevation Gain: 2958 feet

Hike difficulty calculator score: 23
Trail Notes: Hard packed snow covered about 90% of the trail. Watch the footing. Fairly constant elevation throughout the hike. No benches or rest areas noted during this trek.
Pass/Permit: None.

Driving directions at bottom of post.

As always click on pictures for original size.

Photos of this hike are located here.

Lake Angeles, next to the Olympic Mountains, was our destination for this hike. An eight mile trek to a small alpine lake nestled within a cirque in Heart-of-the-Hills. This wintery day excursion included Cheryl S., Ron J., Paul W., John W., Wade B., Dave M., Bruce C., Lloyd W., Jim R., with Kiwi and myself. There was a tremendous amount of hiking and outdoor experience on this trek, that was evidenced by everyone making it back safely. MM :-)

The trail started with an incline as it wound it's way through the forest area known as Heart-of-the-Hills. The ascent continued as we past a small stream and overcame some downed trees that had fallen on the trail. With Burnt Mountain, Rocky Peak, and the Klahhane Ridge providing shadow to the sun's morning rays, we made our way upward on the hard-packed snow that covered the forest floor.

Saintly Sun? MMMMMMMM Catching up on time MMMMKiwi


Several of the group had reached Lake Angeles and started lunch when I arrived. Covered in a white blanket of snow, the deep alpine lake sits below Rocky Peak in a picturesque cirque.
After lunching at the lake, the majority of the group put on snowshoes and broke trail up to what was collectively call, "The Mound". For those hearty hikers that broke the trail, a big thanks. It took over an hour to gain approximately 500 feet using snowshoes. The video shows some of the uphill struggle.

Arrival at the Mound yielded a superb panoramic view. To the north was the Strait of Juan de Fuca and Victoria, Canada. Looking east, we saw the Puget Sound and Mount Baker in the distance. South of us was Klahhane ridge framed by Rocky Peak and Mount Angeles. Heather Park to the west was blocked by mountains named First Top and Second Top. A wonderful spot to enjoy surrounding beauty. Better photos can be viewed here.

The Mound MMMMMMMMKicking back and chilling M:-)


The wind made itself known with a few gusts during the second lunch break. I quickly covered Kiwi with her outfit to protect her from the exposure. But soon enough the crowd had packed up and headed back down. Coming down and passing the lake, clouds started to give us company. Most of the return trip through the cathedral like forest gave me an ephemeral feeling. Almost as if I was only there in spirit and not in body. Kinda strange.

Silence of clouds


Returning to the trailhead and parking lot, the gear was removed and hiking clothing was swapped for traveling clothes. And then it was off to find some lavender mocha. MM :-)

Topo Route MMMMMMMMMHike Profile MMMMMMMMTopo Route Zoom


My selection of clothing and footwear was not the best this hike. Even though I carried three, my first choice had me warmer than needed. I should had worn the light fleece jacket instead of the shell. The hard-packed snow coupled with the mild temperatures (upper 30'sF)
caused the footing to be somewhat slippery. Even with an aggressive tread on the hiking boots, I was not as comfortable with the feel of the trail as I liked. But I felt that snowshoes were not warrantied as snow depth was not a factor. Something similar to golf spikes on the bottom of my boots would have been ideal. Coming back down in the afternoon, after the snow had been warmed by the sun, the trail was a little more slippery, especially in the downhill direction. I used my trekking poles but should have followed the advice of wiser people and used my snowshoes. Even though I was prepared, I could have made smarter choices sooner. Lucky Kiwi with her four paw drive and double fur coat.

Video:


Driving Directions:
In Port Angeles on US 101, turn south onto Race Street. Follow Race Street 1 mile to Heart O' the Hills Parkway. Follow Parkway ~5.5 miles to Heart-of-the-Hills. Turn right just before reaching the park entrance. Go a few hundred yards, depending on the season, to the parking areas.