Circle the Cirque Crest

As the trail nears the lake you are treated to this view. The rocky area to the left requires some up-climbing on the trail, sorry work for a tired backpacker.

Cartridge Basin Lakes

Circle The Cirque Crest - By D.W.Donehoo (All rights reserved)

After examining the nearby countryside, we saw that crossing the outlet stream we could get to a gully and down to the trail we could see below. So we set off again, crossed the outlet, and sure enough found the trail right away. It switchbacked roughly downward and about halfway we saw an even better trail to our right coming from we know not where. This took us the rest of the way down the steep section to a series of step-like benches leading down to the lowest lake I will call "Lower Cartridge Basin Lake". The trail nears the clear waters of "Lower Cartridge Basin Lake" and turns it on the east side.

Cartridge Pass is on the right at the low point.

The climbing was not over and you have to remember these were horse trails and so did not go the easiest routes for backpackers. To bypass some large rock formations on the east shore, the trail-builders elected to go around the obstacles by climbing high around them, and so after a few climbs and descents, we finally reach the outlet of "Lower Cartridge Basin Lake".