Trip Report
Intermediate Snowshoe - Olallie Lake
Quiet night at the lake
Alina Badus
- Sat, Feb 2, 2019 — Sun, Feb 3, 2019
- Intermediate Snowshoe - Olallie Lake
- Talapus Lake Trail
- Snowshoeing
- Successful
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- Road suitable for all vehicles
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We carried our snowshoes all the way to the lake. The trail was just dirt up to 3,400ft and then so packed down that we only needed microspikes. Water crossings were fine; cross along the trail to Talapus Lake (we looked for a crossing further upstream, but not worth the effort).
Our group of five intrepid campers started at the trailhead around 9:30, after a gear check and last stove / shovel count. The trail was slightly muddy and all dirt up to 3,400ft, where we put on our microspikes:
We set up a comfortable camp on the western side of the lake:
The weather was much better than expected, so after lunch we (finally!) put on our snowshoes and set off to explore the ridge to the north of the lake (often posted as Pratt Vista snowshoe trip). The views were great: looking north we could see Kaleetan, Chair, Bryant, Hemlock and the Tooth.
We also scouted the ridge leading north, towards the mysterious and rarely visited Little Pratt Lake; looks very doable, especially with the snow cover. Maybe look for an exploratory trip soon?
After dinner, we hung out with friends who were camping nearby and traded tales of adventure and misadventure. Got some snow overnight and woke up to an inch of fresh powder of everything. A leisurely breakfast, a pleasant hike out, and we were home by lunch. This is a great destination to test out winter gear and skills.