Great Expectations! Traditional Cache
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You can expect big things on this hike to Lake Ingalls! The hike is around 10 miles round trip with an elevation gain of 2500 feet. There's no question why it is one of the most popular destinations in the Alpine Lakes Wilderness. It is a stunning blue lake, set high in a basin beneath rocky peaks, showcasing striking Mount Stuart as its backdrop. The trail to this treasure is filled with delights any time of the year but especially in the fall with hundreds of stunning golden larch trees shimmering in the sun. Views of the craggy Esmeralda Peaks, a walk through beautiful Headlight Basin plus a pretty picture of the imposing Stuart Range are just a few of the wonders along the way. At the 6,500 foot pass, Mount Rainier looms in the distance.
I was expecting to find more caches along the trail when planning this hike but was disappointed to find only one cache at the trailhead. Well, now there is at least one more along the way! (This is as close to the lake one may place a cache since everything north of here is located in the Alpine Lakes Wilderness.) The cache is located at Ingalls Pass. From the pass, drop down to the meadows and follow a rocky trail around the outside edge of the basin. This stretch of trail is rough, and route-finding via cairn may be required at times, before it rounds a bend and heads up a draw into Lake Ingalls.
Oh, and did I mention mountain goats abound?! If you go, there’s a great chance that you’ll spot wild mountain goats, even mothers with babies. Some of the trail signs warn you to stay 50 feet away from the mountain goats, but depending on the goats, that may not be possible!
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Additional Hints
(Decrypt)
Hc gur ebpx lbh tb gb gur onfr bs gur bar orersg bs yvsr. (Frr fcbvyre cvp.) Cyrnfr eruvqr nf sbhaq!