Eagle Cap Wilderness
Posted: September 7th, 2017, 3:44 pm
Completed a labor day backpacking trip to the Eagle Cap Wilderness. Here are the highlights.
Day 1
Friday morning drove to Two Pan TH, arriving at 1:30pm. Out on E. Lostine river trail at 2pm. at Mirror lake some 3 hours later. Pushed on to Glacier Lake. Camped on eastern edge of lake. Great spots on hill overlooking lake, or further to the south.
Strava recorded stats for day one: 11.9 miles from Two Pan to Glacier Lake. 3,539 feet gained. 3 hours, 58 minutes. 3mph.
Day 2
Left camp with an Ultimate Direction 35 liter as my day pack. Cross country to Prospect lake. Circled to the right of the lake. Exited behind lake headed southeast. Dropped down into valley, hopping boulders and circling counter-clockwise to link up with Hawkins Pass trail. Crested over Pass and dropped down into valley that is the head of the South fork of the Imnaha. Crossed over the head of the valley SE to outlet of stream. Follow up into bowl that sits south of Cusick mountain; gained saddle south of Cusick; ascended Cusick headed north. Slippery rocks made it a difficult ascent, but an easy descent. Couldn't find registery at summit. Tried to descend off SE corner to find famous Limber Pine - no luck. Tracked back south down ridge to saddle, back into bowl, and back out to the valley. Re-tracked back over Hawkins pass but continued to Frazier lakes. Took a left turn and headed back up to Glacier Lake.
Strava: 12.9 miles to climb Cusick via south ridge. 5,026 feet gained.
Day 3
Left camp with fly fishing rod and UD 35 liter pack. Back to Prospect, as several people told me it was the best fishing lake. Wrapped around Prospect Lake clockwise for exploration; buggy with outlet meadow. Came back around and scrambled southwest of Prospect up ~200 feet. Found an unnamed tarn at ~8500 feet that is displayed on USFS maps. Returned to lake. Waded to island in Prospect Lake - space for 2 small tents. Fished off the farthest rock on the island, into the deepest part of the Lake. Returned to Glacier Lake, exploring area between Glacier Lake and unnamed sister lake. Picked up camp and descended to Moccasin Lake. Took left and wrapped around to Sunset Lake. Crossed into unmarked trails west north west of Sunset. A couple meadows, hunters camp, several sites overlooking lakes' basin and Eagle Cap. Found two largish unnamed tarns (marked on USFS maps). Camped on large granite slab.
Strava: 11.9 miles. 2,205 feet gained.
Day 4
Broke camp in the morning. Looped back to Sunset Lake. Followed trails back to Two Pan TH.
Stava: 9.4 miles. 297 feet gained.
Thoughts: Prospect Lake and the tarn above were highlights. Would be floored to camp on the small Island in the middle of Prospect. The bowl that sits due east of Cusick summit is awesome. Couple unnamed peaks around the bowl look more fun than Cusick to climb. Could come up South Fork Imnaha for that. Looks climbable from S. Fork valley floor.
Day 1
Friday morning drove to Two Pan TH, arriving at 1:30pm. Out on E. Lostine river trail at 2pm. at Mirror lake some 3 hours later. Pushed on to Glacier Lake. Camped on eastern edge of lake. Great spots on hill overlooking lake, or further to the south.
Strava recorded stats for day one: 11.9 miles from Two Pan to Glacier Lake. 3,539 feet gained. 3 hours, 58 minutes. 3mph.
Day 2
Left camp with an Ultimate Direction 35 liter as my day pack. Cross country to Prospect lake. Circled to the right of the lake. Exited behind lake headed southeast. Dropped down into valley, hopping boulders and circling counter-clockwise to link up with Hawkins Pass trail. Crested over Pass and dropped down into valley that is the head of the South fork of the Imnaha. Crossed over the head of the valley SE to outlet of stream. Follow up into bowl that sits south of Cusick mountain; gained saddle south of Cusick; ascended Cusick headed north. Slippery rocks made it a difficult ascent, but an easy descent. Couldn't find registery at summit. Tried to descend off SE corner to find famous Limber Pine - no luck. Tracked back south down ridge to saddle, back into bowl, and back out to the valley. Re-tracked back over Hawkins pass but continued to Frazier lakes. Took a left turn and headed back up to Glacier Lake.
Strava: 12.9 miles to climb Cusick via south ridge. 5,026 feet gained.
Day 3
Left camp with fly fishing rod and UD 35 liter pack. Back to Prospect, as several people told me it was the best fishing lake. Wrapped around Prospect Lake clockwise for exploration; buggy with outlet meadow. Came back around and scrambled southwest of Prospect up ~200 feet. Found an unnamed tarn at ~8500 feet that is displayed on USFS maps. Returned to lake. Waded to island in Prospect Lake - space for 2 small tents. Fished off the farthest rock on the island, into the deepest part of the Lake. Returned to Glacier Lake, exploring area between Glacier Lake and unnamed sister lake. Picked up camp and descended to Moccasin Lake. Took left and wrapped around to Sunset Lake. Crossed into unmarked trails west north west of Sunset. A couple meadows, hunters camp, several sites overlooking lakes' basin and Eagle Cap. Found two largish unnamed tarns (marked on USFS maps). Camped on large granite slab.
Strava: 11.9 miles. 2,205 feet gained.
Day 4
Broke camp in the morning. Looped back to Sunset Lake. Followed trails back to Two Pan TH.
Stava: 9.4 miles. 297 feet gained.
Thoughts: Prospect Lake and the tarn above were highlights. Would be floored to camp on the small Island in the middle of Prospect. The bowl that sits due east of Cusick summit is awesome. Couple unnamed peaks around the bowl look more fun than Cusick to climb. Could come up South Fork Imnaha for that. Looks climbable from S. Fork valley floor.