Lake Haiyaha
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Two different people along our journey told us Lake Haiyaha was a must-see. I'm guessing they did it without snow, because in current conditions… oof. We waited until after lunch to start the hike since the morning had the mountains in the clouds. We wanted those mountain views, and by early afternoon, the skies finally cleared up.
Steep Lake Haiyaha Trail
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The trail to Haiyaha shares the same path as Nymph and Dream Lake but splits off just before Dream Lake. We hiked this area earlier in the week and completely missed the turnoff. Buried under snow, the real trail is hard to spot. The current "trail" is just a path of packed footprints that veers from the actual route. I downloaded the trail map on AllTrails and Danny chatted with a ranger earlier to help locate it.
From the start, the trail was more challenging than our other snow hikes. The snow was melting and soft, collapsing and postholing us up to our knees at time. Even with poles and crampons, it was slick in spots, especially on sloped sections. At one point, the path was barely 1–2 feet wide, hugging the mountainside with steep drop offs. One bad step and… not a good day to say the least. Thankfully, we made it up just fine.
Near the top, we postholed through more snow until reaching a boulder field that surrounds the lake. Haiyaha was still mostly frozen and snow covered, but the mountain backdrop was stunning. From what we’ve heard, once the snow melts, the lake turns an unreal shade of turquoise green due to glacial rock flour suspended in the water. It’s apparently one of the most vibrant alpine lakes in the park.
We hung out for a bit before spotting rain clouds moving in and decided to make our descent. The steep drop offs on the way down were no more comforting the second time, but we got through without issue again.
Back near the Nymph Lake trail, we spotted our third marmot of the trip and a few more birds. Another solid hike in the books. Even if the lake wasn’t in its full glory, the adventure and tricky terrain made it a memorable one.
From the start, the trail was more challenging than our other snow hikes. The snow was melting and soft, collapsing and postholing us up to our knees at time. Even with poles and crampons, it was slick in spots, especially on sloped sections. At one point, the path was barely 1–2 feet wide, hugging the mountainside with steep drop offs. One bad step and… not a good day to say the least. Thankfully, we made it up just fine.
Near the top, we postholed through more snow until reaching a boulder field that surrounds the lake. Haiyaha was still mostly frozen and snow covered, but the mountain backdrop was stunning. From what we’ve heard, once the snow melts, the lake turns an unreal shade of turquoise green due to glacial rock flour suspended in the water. It’s apparently one of the most vibrant alpine lakes in the park.
We hung out for a bit before spotting rain clouds moving in and decided to make our descent. The steep drop offs on the way down were no more comforting the second time, but we got through without issue again.
Back near the Nymph Lake trail, we spotted our third marmot of the trip and a few more birds. Another solid hike in the books. Even if the lake wasn’t in its full glory, the adventure and tricky terrain made it a memorable one.