Trip Advice - Window Peak Lake

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richapple
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Trip Advice - Window Peak Lake

Post by richapple »

First the basics:
Level of experience - Lots, at Level 3, and actually fairly comfortable with all trail/cross-country, though must confess to not liking - at all - having to clamber over big talus blocks for long distances...
Terrain - Class 2 okay, with that caveat about us not liking talus much
Main interest - all of it except fishing (except for fishing for photos/movies of fish)

Having read great trip reports/posts covering so much more than just the Window Peak Lake area (the main lake under Window Peak and its little buddy just downstream), I'm almost embarrassed to ask for this specific information about what may be enough of a no-brainer that it's not so spelled out. (I see "Cross Country" and "Zolton" being very familiar, and "Cross Country" having gone there from the Woods crossing numerous times.)

Is it a safe assumption that to hike up to Window Peak Lake from the JMT heading north from the Woods crossing, we'll get past the two outlet streams from Window Peak Lake heading down to Woods (late season, so not sure what's there - have passed that way twice over the years, but, uh, I don't remember the specifics that much), and then we'll head up off the trail following the direction of that northmost creek?

Should we try to stay close to the water (creek from Window Peak Lake), or will we be away from it and just keeping tabs on it so as not to track too far from it?

Any less-than-obvious routes/tricks to heading up there? Anything misleading to avoid?

I like the advice from "Cross Country" for the upper Paradise swim and water slide. Not sure we'd do that! But we have found some nice "brain spritzer" pockets to be in the rushing water and enjoy it rushing onto our noggins.

I enjoyed the TR for the recent July trip by Zolton, and I've got to think our weather conditions will be bit different. We have info from last year from other posts (the fire south of Cedar Grove had us move our trip north to the Silver Pass area), and getting up to Window Peak Lake from the JMT sounds doable for our level. I have lots of words written and photos ready, but am still a bit behind putting our TR here for Kibbie Lake/Flora Lake and up Bartlett to Little Bear Lake, which included plenty of rough and tumble cross country in July. Nice early trip and I'm hoping to post something useful.

Thanks for any info!

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cgundersen
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Re: Trip Advice - Window Peak Lake

Post by cgundersen »

rich,
You'll probably get more-recent advice than mine, but on my one trip to Window in early October in the late '80s, we were coming from Pinchot Pass and started the ascent relatively early, just because we did not want to lose any more elevation. I remember it being a steady scramble, but nothing too challenging. If there was a use trail, we did not hit one, but even so, it's pretty clear that you just keep the creek to the left and go up. Our only mistake is we were expecting to be able to get water from the outflow creek, but since it had been a low snow year, there was no outflow creek. Very unexpected and this happened on an unusually warm day, so we were pretty dry by the time we found water! This will not be a problem this year. And, Window is gorgeous (which makes me wonder why I've not gone back???).
cg
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richapple
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Re: Trip Advice - Window Peak Lake

Post by richapple »

cg,

Oh we've "been there before" with the no-water-where-expected. Last stretch of the JMT from Tuolumne was going to have us camping at Sunrise High Sierra Camp late season after the HSC was closed in 2008, and we did not know that place could possibly be dry. Had to hike on and get lower along Sunrise Creek, which set us up better to then get to a lower camp and then head up to Half Dome the next day...

Though my Trip Reports usually follow months behind the trip, you'll hopefully enjoy, and yes, my guess is you'll get back there!

Rich
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Re: Trip Advice - Window Peak Lake

Post by cgundersen »

rich,
Between the post by zoltan and Maverick's photos (and, presumably, yours), I'm already thinking about a long loop out from Taboose next year. Hitting Window Peak Lk will be a key component. Hope your trip "rocks"!
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Re: Trip Advice - Window Peak Lake

Post by Cross Country »

The hike up to WP lake has several routes, all of them away from the creek and all equally difficult and none of them dangerous or even scary. If it's scary, try another route nearby. There is no use trail longer than a few hundred yards.
It is a truly beautiful place. That and the fishing is why I went there 5 times.
As for the water slide - you should really do that. It's a super treat. It's maybe half an hour hike or more below upper Paridise.
The Flora Lake area is a good early season place. I wouldn't go there any other time of year.
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