Cast Lake from McNeil Campground
Posted: May 27th, 2019, 3:22 pm
Cast Lake
May 26-27, 2019
First time posting. What follows are some observations...
3 hour hike, about 2 miles per hour.
Weather: Mostly cloudy, some overnight rain, 60‘s high, 45 overnight low. Woke up to low clouds/foggy, but warmed to 55 by around 8:30am.
Parked at end of the road, walked short bit 200 yards? To the trailhead.
Hike up was not steep. Gradual, constant grade.
No rain on hike in or evening, until bedtime then light rain started. Didn't last too long, most of night was quiet.
Trail up was free of snow. Patches of soft snow around the lake and on trail down to the lake. Lots of snow on the south side of the lake.
Wore trail runners. Worked out great. The snow wasn't an issue.
Initially missed the turn off trail down to cast lake. Not marked. Tracks in snow going both directions. Went 100 yards, checked map and went back.
One other group camping at lake on there peninsula. They also had fire, but well before us. We struggled getting a fire started with only the wet wood.
Only observed 3 camp sites. One above the trail just after getting to the lake, one on peninsula and ours, above the lake shore and trail Midway between peninsula and end of lake on North side. May have missed other sites on the east side..?
Saw only a couple groups of day hikers on their way down. Seemed especially quiet for Memorial Weekend, but suspect the threat of rain kept folks away.
-Kelly
Patches of snow on the short trail down to the lake
The Lake after coming down the short cut-off trail
The Lake from our campsite
Mt Hood hiding behind the clouds
A few glimpses of sun on our hike
Hike profile
May 26-27, 2019
First time posting. What follows are some observations...
3 hour hike, about 2 miles per hour.
Weather: Mostly cloudy, some overnight rain, 60‘s high, 45 overnight low. Woke up to low clouds/foggy, but warmed to 55 by around 8:30am.
Parked at end of the road, walked short bit 200 yards? To the trailhead.
Hike up was not steep. Gradual, constant grade.
No rain on hike in or evening, until bedtime then light rain started. Didn't last too long, most of night was quiet.
Trail up was free of snow. Patches of soft snow around the lake and on trail down to the lake. Lots of snow on the south side of the lake.
Wore trail runners. Worked out great. The snow wasn't an issue.
Initially missed the turn off trail down to cast lake. Not marked. Tracks in snow going both directions. Went 100 yards, checked map and went back.
One other group camping at lake on there peninsula. They also had fire, but well before us. We struggled getting a fire started with only the wet wood.
Only observed 3 camp sites. One above the trail just after getting to the lake, one on peninsula and ours, above the lake shore and trail Midway between peninsula and end of lake on North side. May have missed other sites on the east side..?
Saw only a couple groups of day hikers on their way down. Seemed especially quiet for Memorial Weekend, but suspect the threat of rain kept folks away.
-Kelly
Patches of snow on the short trail down to the lake
The Lake after coming down the short cut-off trail
The Lake from our campsite
Mt Hood hiding behind the clouds
A few glimpses of sun on our hike
Hike profile