Serene Lake via Shellrock Lake 7/26-7/28/19

[williwaw]

I've taken the kids into Shellrock a number of times, and hiked up the ridge towards Frazier Mountain with them. This year the youngest (6) was ready for more of a trip. So we parked at Shellrock Friday night and hiked up to Frazier Turnaround to spend the night. Then we moved onto Serene Lake the next day. Returned to Shellrock on Sunday.

Some notes on this weekend:

Frazier Turnaround: I debated driving into the turnaround trailhead vs hiking up from Shellrock. We have a car with 8" of clearance, and we probably would've had no problem talking to all the Subbie owners that were camped out there. I did hike a mile of the road in the morning while the family was asleep and found several soft spots where the road was still wet and ruts were 4-6" deep with mud. So be aware its still soft and rough up there.

Mosquitos: Wow, as a guy from Alaska I am used to our state bird being a pest, but this was a seriously buggy weekend. There seemed to be pockets that shifted over the weekend. Friday night at Frazier Turnaround was probably an 8 out of 10 on the bug misery index. Like we should've had head nets. Long nylon pants and shirts needed (biting through leggings or Capilene.) The temperature dropped a lot over the weekend so the bugs were free to do their thing. Serene Lake was buggy too, but we camped on the windy side of the lake and the breeze kept us safe. Sunday on the way out the sun had emerged and Frazier was not too bad - back to a normal level. But who knows what the evening was like that day.

Serene Lake: First time visit and it was a treat. Trail in good shape, plenty of campsite options since we arrived at noon. But even still, about three or four parties camped around the lake. Tried out my new Tenkara fly rod and hooked into a smaller cutthroat right away, but then nothing despite many rises and lots of hatches. The rock on the southwest side near the scree slope is a great swimming spot. Loved having that to jump off! After chatting with others on the trail, Middle Rock Lake sounded very crowded this weekend. Saturday the temps dropped alot! We had all our layers on and went through more food and fuel than I expected, within our planned margins, but I haven't felt cold in a while. That was sort of pleasant.

[wnshall]

I love Serene Lake. Such a beautiful spot. Only matched by its reputation for mosquitoes. I aim for late Aug or Sept for that area. Love to hear you're introducing your kids to the Great Outdoors.

BTW, it's possible to make a loop trip back to Shellrock from Serene that doesn't pass through Frazier. A semi-abandoned trail takes you over a small saddle and down to Shellrock. It was quite easy to follow a couple of years ago when we did it.

[williwaw]

@wnshall - where is that saddle? Does it come down towards Cache Meadows?