Cast Lake from McNeil Campground

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poppacouch
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Cast Lake from McNeil Campground

Post by poppacouch » 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
IMG_9545 (2).jpg

The Lake after coming down the short cut-off trail
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The Lake from our campsite
IMG_9575 (2).jpg

Mt Hood hiding behind the clouds
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A few glimpses of sun on our hike
IMG_4893 (2).jpg

Hike profile
IMG_9586.png

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retired jerry
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Re: Cast Lake from McNeil Campground

Post by retired jerry » May 27th, 2019, 3:58 pm

thanks for report

any bugs?

maybe a couple weeks before major bug populations

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poppacouch
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Re: Cast Lake from McNeil Campground

Post by poppacouch » May 27th, 2019, 5:00 pm

Forgot to mention that... No bugs.

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kepPNW
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Re: Cast Lake from McNeil Campground

Post by kepPNW » May 28th, 2019, 12:38 pm

Hey, I think we saw you guys, just as you were preparing to break camp!

Had a "guard dog" in a sweater, right? ;)
Karl
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Aimless
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Re: Cast Lake from McNeil Campground

Post by Aimless » May 28th, 2019, 7:23 pm

I was just up the Cast Creek trail today. No bugs, No people. No views (in the fog from 4000 ft on up.) Only some tiny snow patches above 4500 ft. Tread in great shape. Only 3 step-over logs that I recall. A bit of impinging brush, but nothing serious. I heard a hermit thrush near the top. I didn't continue up E. Zigzag Mt. -- because of the fog there was nothing to see past about 100 feet from my nose.

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poppacouch
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Re: Cast Lake from McNeil Campground

Post by poppacouch » May 28th, 2019, 7:47 pm

kepPNW wrote:
May 28th, 2019, 12:38 pm
Had a "guard dog" in a sweater, right? ;)
Sorry, that was not us. No dogs. Just 3 fellas camping... 2 of us hammock camped - loving it!

We left camp just before 9am Monday.

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kepPNW
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Re: Cast Lake from McNeil Campground

Post by kepPNW » May 29th, 2019, 6:12 am

poppacouch wrote:
May 28th, 2019, 7:47 pm
kepPNW wrote:
May 28th, 2019, 12:38 pm
Had a "guard dog" in a sweater, right? ;)
Sorry, that was not us. No dogs. Just 3 fellas camping... 2 of us hammock camped - loving it!

We left camp just before 9am Monday.
Huh, sure sounded like the same campsite, just 50 yards or so east of the outlet, up above the trail. We passed through around 2:30-3:00 on Sunday. Only folks we saw there.

Funny thing is, given your description, it sounds like "everyone" thought Burnt Lake would be crowded, due to the holiday, and went to Cast instead. When we dropped down past Burnt on way out, there didn't appear to be anyone at all camping there! (Though two were coming up, later in the evening.)
Karl
Back on the trail, again...

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poppacouch
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Re: Cast Lake from McNeil Campground

Post by poppacouch » May 29th, 2019, 7:01 am

kepPNW wrote:
May 29th, 2019, 6:12 am
poppacouch wrote:
May 28th, 2019, 7:47 pm
kepPNW wrote:
May 28th, 2019, 12:38 pm
Had a "guard dog" in a sweater, right? ;)
Sorry, that was not us. No dogs. Just 3 fellas camping... 2 of us hammock camped - loving it!

We left camp just before 9am Monday.
Huh, sure sounded like the same campsite, just 50 yards or so east of the outlet, up above the trail. We passed through around 2:30-3:00 on Sunday. Only folks we saw there.

Funny thing is, given your description, it sounds like "everyone" thought Burnt Lake would be crowded, due to the holiday, and went to Cast instead. When we dropped down past Burnt on way out, there didn't appear to be anyone at all camping there! (Though two were coming up, later in the evening.)
Yah, I thought of going to burnt lake, but assumed it would be busy due to better views and lesser hike in. I've never been, but plan to go back some other time.

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