Lake Isabelle Ice Out & Crosier Mtn 28JUn19-29Jun19

Kala & I and the Wilkes set out from below Brainard Lk headed to Lake Isabelle just 600 ft climb over 4 miles to 10.4K ft elevation. I was intending to fish. From nearly the outset we were in snow drifts - some passed on top, some post-holing across. The ladies turned back after quite a few fields were crossed on our way to Long Lk. Tom & I forged on and ultimately got to Lake Isabelle below the Isabelle glacier in an awesome cirque in the IPWA. The "hike" was brutal through mostly deep snow-covered trail and sometimes just hiking up the snow cliffs with unknown trail locations. I fished for an hour on the 1/2 iced out lake and saw no fish and caught no fish. My shoes and socks were drenched from snowmelt but made it home safely.

Needless to say, I modified my plan to return up past Brainard to another pair of IPWA lakes, the following day. Instead we hatched a plan to hike to a more esoteric and sub-alpine hike to Crosier Mtn. The hike was a bit more aggressive at 2800 ft elevation over 4 miles given the test above but we went. The day was hot from 7K to 9.3K elevation but the destination was awesome. So too were the wildflowers on the way, including many columbine and indian paintbrush.