Aug. 6, 2011. Amazing the lake is still frozen, and so much snow this year. More amazing that a corgi got here (with a lot of help; Gwynnie fully understands the "Corgi Toss!" command). The hard part is just getting to the lake -- no trail, and a long slog up rocks and boulders -- once on the snow, it's easy. The granite cliffs above the lake in the glacier-carved cirque are about 600' high. Above the lake, it was ice ax and crampons (ice spikes) on the firm snow. Gwyynie was quite surefooted on the steep snow, which can be quite dangerous (don't try this at home, kids, really). I belayed her in a couple places.
Note the brown stuff in the middle of the lake, that's rocky avalanche debris from the winter, floating on the ice, hasn't sunk yet.