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The Lake George parking lot is rather large, and it was almost full even on
this late October morning. However, most of the people there were
just fishing at Lake George. We ran into just a handful of hikers on the
trail. During the summer, however, I imagine it could get very crowded.
Especially considering you get to view 3 beautiful alpine lakes for
relatively little effort.
Lake George
Crystal Crag over Lake George
The trail starts out right next to Lake George, following the shore. Anglers
are situated all along the way. On the far side of the lake, you can see
Crystal Crag. There was just the barest hint of fall foliage on the far
shore; it looks like we were several weeks too late for that, at this
high elevation.
Duck on Lake George
After a short walk, we were crossing an inlet stream over a small footbridge.
From here, the trail gets a little ragged, going over some rocky sections,
but nothing too challenging. Along the way you can enjoy more views of
Lake George to your right. Then, the trail makes a left turn and heads
straight uphill away from the lake. The trail seemed quite steep,
especially for us since we'd had less than 18 hours to acclimatize to the
altitude. The trail is mostly unshaded here, but it's relatively short.
Barrett Lake
Leaving behind the views of the lake, the trail enters the forest and then
tops out at small Barrett Lake. It's a pretty little lake surrounded by
trees, with mountains far off in the distance. We stopped for awhile to
rest after the steep ascent. After resting, we got up and got back on the
trail. Less than 5 minutes later, we were staring down at beautiful
TJ Lake.
TJ Lake
Crystal Crag over TJ Lake
TJ Lake is much larger than Barrett Lake, but much smaller than
Lake George. It is backed by Crystal Crag and the mountains of the
Mammoth Crest. It is much more enclosed than Barrett Lake or Lake George;
this lends an air of solitude to it that's refreshing.
Mammoth Crest over TJ Lake
TJ Lake
There's a trail that leads around the entire lake, but we just settled in on
the narrow shore by the trail. After a long rest stop, we headed back the way
we came. It only took about half an hour to get back to the parking lot, which
was now completely full.
Descending to Lake George
Fly fisherman in Lake George
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