Wapiki Lake is the highest altitude (5200) of the major Indian Heaven lakes and the mosquitoes get there later than at other places like Thomas Lake.
So while there were some mosquitoes at the trailhead and the lower trail, there were none at the lake. There were flies and some other black and yellow striped insect, but for the most part they were not biting. I was able to site out next to the lake in shorts and shirtless and got a grand total of one fly bite. But they buzzed around my head a lot.
I took snowshoes and used them. It would be possible to get there without (there were boot tracks), but the claws were convenient and let me
walk without worrying about kicking steps into the snow slopes.
I considered climbing up the slope on the west side of the lake to check out Lemei Rocks, but that slope was a lot steeper and your correspondent's
motivation was not up to that steepness.
Lowland forest near the start of the trail. Notice the black ring painted around the trees. There were many of these - a mystery.
The ground was mostly snow-covered by the time I reached the junction where the spur heads left to the lake
Lake view from camp that afternoon
and the next morning
The lake is still majority covered with snow
Camp
Lakeside dining
The sunset was spectacular
And reflected off the lake
It's only 3.5 miles to this lake and if I had headed straight home, it would have been the peak heat, so I decided to stop by
the remote Little Huckleberry Mountain. It's a steep 2.25 miles to the summit where there once was a lookout
Good view of the Big Lava Bed
Hood, which looks like it wants to blow
and Saint Helens peaking out
I've been eaten alive a couple of times in Indian Heaven, so have pretty much made that an autumn hiking destination.
