Ancient Lakes and Dusty Lake - 3.22.2009
rodman's GPS route for our trip to Ancient Lakes, Burke Lake and Dusty Lake... 10 miles roundtrip, gaining 980 feet of elevation.
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A quarter mile from the trailhead we start hiking into the Ancient Lakes coulee.
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The first of several waterfalls in the Ancient Lakes coulee.
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The first lake.
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Looking south from the north side of the first lake... the pass leading over the basalt cliffs to the Dusty Lake coulee is in the top center of the photo.
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The second lake is fed by a waterfall at the east end of the lake.
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A closeup of the waterfall at the east end of the second lake.
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We decided to hike on over to get a closer look at the waterfall.
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Getting across the waterfall outflow was the toughest part of the trip.
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Leaving the waterfall required some boulder work along the east side of the second lake.
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Hikers walking upside down on the west side of the second lake.
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Only a handful of fisher people at the second lake.
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Looking west across the second lake and first lake towards the Columbia River Gorge.
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The third lake is round in shape.
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We've left the three Ancient Lakes and are heading for the wall that separates the Ancient Lakes coulee and Dusty Lake coulee.
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Denali Girl shows rodman the obvious path that will lead to a pass and Dusty Lake.
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Denali Girl and rodman start up towards the pass.
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Denali Girl reaches the pass... with the Ancient Lakes beyond.
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Our first look at Dusty Lake... and the realization that we picked a pass that is too cliffy on the south side for a safe descent to the lake.
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Looking west from the wall that separates the Ancient Lakes and Dusty Lake coulees.
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Basalt cliffs.
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So we retreated, giving back a little elevation, and headed east in search of the pass that would get us to Dusty Lake.
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Kind of looks like we are heading into a box canyon... but the path is good... so there are no concerns.
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Once again we have reached the top of the wall that separates the two coulees and are looking back on our route.
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A pano shot of Dusty Lake... and the realization that we have bypassed the pass that would have planted us on the finger that reaches out into Dusty Lake.
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Rather than backtrack to the pass, we continued to Burke Lake and connected with the official Dusty Lake trailhead.
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Dusty Lake as we give back 400 feet of elevation down to the lake.
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Dusty Lake reflection shot.
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Looking back at where we came down from Burke Lake.
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Another Dusty Lake reflection shot.
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In the upper right is the pass that separates the Ancient Lakes coulee and Dusty Lake coulee... which would have saved us two miles of hiking.
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Looking west down the Dusty Lake coulee.
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Another Dusty Lake reflection shot.
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Denali Girl is finishing off the last boulder field on the north side of Dusty Lake.
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rodman ponders at the east end of Dusty Lake... leaving 3 miles of easy hiking back to the car.
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