A Backpack Cross-Country Traverse of the Minarets

Ashley Lake glacier: It certainly looks like an interesting climb if you have the right gear for it. If you get to the top, you may as well try for the top of Iron Mountain via a Class 1 route says Secor.

Ashley Lake, Part Deux

A Cross-Country Traverse of the Minarets, August/September 2006

The water was certainly clear, as only high mountain lakes can be. I saw a fish or two, and the only people we saw there seem to be the fisherman type who were doing a lot of resting. There may have been good reason.

If you were to go straight to Ashley Lake from the Devils Postpile trailhead in a day, it would be something like 2700+ feet of gain over 6.7+ miles: nothing to snort at. View for effort, our way was much easier.

It still looks do-able to go around the lake here, but the other side is much easier. Mountain clear water so you can spot the fish if they don't see you first.

After our snack on the rock, we could hang around, explore the lake, or head for our next destination. We got into camp plenty early that day (heck, we did another hike), so it would have been nice to go around the lake and explore the cross-country possibilities. But we didn't. We decided to head out on our planned route.