A few weeks ago, dad and I spent another perfect fall day hiking up to Ingalls Lake. We got a bit of a late start, considering that the trailhead is near Cle Elum and about 2 hours from Seattle. But the low light made for lovely photographs, even if it meant hiking down in the dark.

The trail to Ingalls Lake is 9 miles round-trip, with 2,600 feet of elevation gain. You can find more information about the hike, including directions, on the Seattle PI website.

It took us longer than expected to reach the lake, due to some icy snow on the trail near Ingalls Pass. We made a bumbling trip around the Lake to the outlet as well, which I wouldn't really recommend. The best views were along the trail between Ingalls Pass and the crest before the lake... many stunning panoramas of Mount Stuart and lovely Larch glades. Below are a few choice photos from the trip. Many more can be found in my Ingalls Lake Gallery.

[ Dad hiking near the Long's Pass Fork ]

[ The perfect mountain spot - after Ingalls Pass]

[ Gold larch needles & a blue sky ]

[ Wicked Larch & Mt. Stuart]

[Lake Ingalls and Mt. Stuart]

[Sunset]