Rae Lakes Loop Trip Report

Day 4

July 16, 2009

Rae Lakes to Charlotte Lake

6.7 miles
Elevation Ascent: 2525 ft
Elevation Descent: 2559 ft

Day 4 Profile

This was our rest day, so we slept in until 8:30 am. Temps went to 37 degrees last night. My Tarptent had quite a bit of condensation on the inside wall. In hindsight, setting a tent up in a meadow pretty much guarantees condensation, and in a single wall tent, is really not a good spot. The good news is that the design of the Contrail causes any drips to roll off and fall through the mesh to the outside of the tent, so no water got on my gear or sleeping bag. I did have to wipe off the interior with a bandana to speed up the drying process.

I still wasn't hungry, but made myself eat a little breakfast. After everyone was up and had eaten, we had a heart to heart discussion. I had REALLY looked forward to this rest day at the Lakes. The last time I was here, we fished, swam (quickly), and really felt refreshed before hitting Glen pass the next day. It was one of the 'moments' that stay with you for a lifetime. I had really wanted to share that experience with Revan and Elena. It just wasn't going to happen. The mosquito infestation wasn't going to allow us a day of rest and relaxation. We all agreed that we would press on, and hopefully things would be better at Charlotte Lake. If so, we would take a day of rest there.

Before we packed up our camp, Revan did get a bit of fishing in. He caught one (I was able to get it on video!) but it dropped off as it hit the shoreline. It would have been catch and release anyway. By the time we decided to forge ahead and hike, then broke camp, it was already 11:48am.

Fishing at Lower Rae

Early morning coffee

Packed up and ready to go

Middle Rae is really beautiful. Lush meadows and a backdrop of snow capped peaks surround a royal blue lake. The Rae Lakes Ranger Station is a ways up the hill from Middle Rae Lake. I walked up to see if the Ranger was in, and say hello, but when I saw the laundry on the clothesline it suddenly felt like I was trespassing onto someones private residence so I headed back down to the trail.

For some reason my camera started taking pictures in black, white and green after Middle Rae Lakes. I must have messed with the settings. Good thing Elena was also taking pictures.

We hit the junction of the Sixty Lakes Basin trail at 1:00 pm. This is also the point where the trail really starts climbing up to Glenn Pass. This section of the trail has the most panoramic views. There are a host of small glacial lakes as you wind your way up the trail, and these lakes have a brilliant blue tint. You can take short side trips to some of these little lakes if you have the time and energy. The water color is really unique and beautiful. I am guessing the mineral content is what gives these their unique color.

Once you pass the Sixty Lakes Basin trail junction the trail goes above the treeline, and there is very little vegetation. As you ascend, the landscape becomes extremely rugged, with bare rock and mountain peaks as far as the eye could see. It is a stark and barren, but I found it extremely beautiful.

Middle Rae Lakes

High Sierra at it's finest

Upper Rae Lake

Sixty Lakes Basin Trail

Glacier lakes

Beautiful blue lake

When I planned this trip, I had wanted to go a bit later in July, but work and other constraints gave us a tight window of opportunity. I was really concerned about the snow pack at Glen Pass. I had been monitoring the trail reports and reading the JMT and PCT hikers accounts of the snow levels. Just two weeks before we hit the trail, the Park Service was recommending special gear for getting across the snow pack. There still was snow in a few places that we had to get across, but it was not icy nor too deep. It did make me slightly uncomfortable in a couple of places where a slip would have been really bad news, and in some places the trail was hard to find and we had to follow others tracks or do a bit of rock climbing to get where we needed to go.

Snow crossing

Almost at the top

Snow at 11,000 ft

We finally hit the top of Glenn Pass at 3:30 pm. All of us were doing fine so far, and we all had energy and were in good spirits at the top of the Pass. The pass really is a narrow bridge between mountains, separating two valleys. It must be only 12 feet or so across at some points. Standing at the top of Glen Pass and looking over the valleys below was exhilarating. This was a special moment for me. I was visiting an old friend; one that I had not expected to ever see again.
I know our Creator is just as present in the city as He is on top of a mountain, but perhaps being surrounded by His creation helps me to listen better and explains why I feel His presence so strongly in places like this.

On top of Glen pass looking back at Rae Lakes

On top of Glen Pass

Top of Glen Pass looking towards Kearsarge pass

Elena and I started down the other side of the pass, and Revan stayed at the top of the pass for a few minutes enjoying the solitude. It didn't take him long to catch up to us though. He flew down the trail like a mountain goat. This downhill section was challenging for me, and I think Elena as well. It was steep, and I really worried about re-injuring my knee. The trekking poles really did help here, and gave me the stability to take large drops without any undue stress on my knees.

Wildflowers at 11,500 ft

Switchbacks down to lake. Just past Glen Pass.
The color was just incredible

First glimpse of Charlotte Lake

At 5:30 we hit the junction of the JMT, Kearsage Pass and Charlotte Lake trails. I love this trail junction. It is a totally flat, open plain, with multiple trails heading off in different directions. Each of those trails represent a different adventure to me, some that are old friends, and some still to be experienced. We stopped at this point, and briefly discussed the possibility of continuing on to Vidette Meadow instead of heading to Charlotte Lake. We were getting pretty tired by this time, and it was getting late, so we decided to keep with our plan and head to Charlotte Lake. We had ascended 2525 feet today, and descended 2559.

Charlotte Lake or keep on going??

Kearsarge Pass / JMT / Charlotte Lake
Trail junction

Heading to Charlotte Lake

As we were descending down the trail to Charlotte lake, Elena suggested we find a camp spot well away from the lake and surrounding meadow. At 5:42 pm we found a spot about .4 miles away from and 150 ft above the lake to setup camp. The spot was at 10,560 ft elevation. I hiked to the lake to get water and assess the mosquito situation. It was evening, and the air was thick with our little blood sucking friends. On the positive side, the sun was setting across the lake to the west, and the mountains were reflecting off of the lake surface. The combination of the light from the setting sun and the reflections in the water were spectacular. The beautiful meadow to the west of the lake completed the postcard perfect setting. Definitely inspiration for another Kincaid painting. Unfortunately my camera did not capture the surreal quality of the light. Back at camp, the mosquitoes were bad, but not nearly as thick as at the lake. Elena had made a good call. It meant almost a mile round trip to get water, but it was worth it. Obviously, my hope that we could spend a day relaxing at Charlotte Lake was not going to happen.

We had company at the campsite as there were three birds that stayed with us the entire time. A momma bird and two "babies" that were as big as she was. Poor mother bird, her kids screeched at her constantly to be fed. They were LOUD! We enjoyed their antics while we cooked dinner. I was getting a little worried since I was still feeling a little bit 'off' and only ate a few bites of dinner. By this time I was guessing that I was experiencing a little altitude sickness. Since we were going to be spending the rest of the trip at lower elevations, I was not too worried.

We were now off the main JMT and Rae Lakes trail, so we had the location to ourselves. It was really quiet here (once the birds went to sleep). I did a little reading and star gazing before falling asleep.

Day 4 camp above Charlotte Lake

Charlotte Lake

Reflections in Charlotte Lake

Day 5

Videos from Day 4

Lower Rae Lakes 11 MB	Middle Rae 4 MB	Fish at Lower Rae 1.6 MB	Morning at Rae Lakes 7 MB
Snow near Glen Pass 5 MB	Glen Pass 10 MB	Glen Pass 8 MB	Glen Pass 11 MB

Additional pictures from Day 4

Rae Lakes Loop Trip Report

Day 4

July 16, 2009

Rae Lakes to Charlotte Lake

6.7 miles Elevation Ascent: 2525 ft Elevation Descent: 2559 ft

6.7 miles
Elevation Ascent: 2525 ft
Elevation Descent: 2559 ft