Big Five / Little Five Lakes Loop

Sawtooth Peak rises like an arrow on the ridge center picture. Needham Mountain is all the way to the left. Below Sawtooth Peak is Columbine Lake, and below that lake is Cyclamen Lake, and below that lake is Spring Lake. To the right of Spring Lake you can see the cross-country route to Glacier Pass, which can seen at the end of the ridge on the right.

Alpine Views

Big 5, Little 5 Lakes Loop and Sawtooth Pass, August 4th to 7th, 2000.

I broke out my chair and visited with a group of young adults who had been doing the loop in the opposite direction, and were heading for Spring Lake. I had run out of water, foolish considering the springs I impatiently passed on the way up, and one of them shared their water from their ample supply. It sometimes pays to travel with a large group.
I took stock of my near surroundings and noted the volcanic nature of the pass with its mix of red rock on the north side and black rock on the south side. A bit of use trail faded off to the north for those climbing the nearby peaks.

Needham Mountain dominates the center horizon looking SSE from Black Rock Pass.

Directly to the south was a jumble of rocks of slightly higher altitude that once climbed past allowed breathtaking views of the Spring Lake basin and the Sawtooth group of peaks. In the huge steps leading up to Sawtooth Peak, I could easily see the giant steps containing Spring Lake, Cyclamen Lake and Columbine Lake in line with the peak.