Climbed this 9/1/03 in close to 100 degree heat at probably the driest part of the year and there was plenty of water available in the basin below the summit cliffs. Large meadows with running creeks ran all around. Just bring a filter. There was even a few running streams on the path between the trailhead and the saddle too.
Camped at the Corral Creek Campground and started the trail at 7am. July 3, 20. Headed to Blue Lake. (Shuttled a car at that trail head.) Gearhart Trail was great to No Name Pass and down to the valley. Water was available. Beautiful flowers. Amazing views. We were able to reach the Notch at the end of the meadow with no problem. After that things got sour. Beetle kill has caused the lodge pole pines to lay like pickup sticks all along the trail. We had GPS which saved us. No trail maintenance has been done in this part for years it seems. It was commando style hiking for the next six miles. A mile before Blue Lake the trail got better but be ready for mosquitoes! The Lake was pretty and the rest of the trail was fine. Had we known we would have turned around and gone back at the Notch. Palisades are worth seeing if you only want to do a mile up.
Brian Jenkins - Sep 3, 2003 11:22 am - Voted 10/10
Untitled CommentClimbed this 9/1/03 in close to 100 degree heat at probably the driest part of the year and there was plenty of water available in the basin below the summit cliffs. Large meadows with running creeks ran all around. Just bring a filter. There was even a few running streams on the path between the trailhead and the saddle too.
Violette - Jul 6, 2020 6:04 pm - Hasn't voted
Gearhart Hike to Blue Lake July 2020Camped at the Corral Creek Campground and started the trail at 7am. July 3, 20. Headed to Blue Lake. (Shuttled a car at that trail head.) Gearhart Trail was great to No Name Pass and down to the valley. Water was available. Beautiful flowers. Amazing views. We were able to reach the Notch at the end of the meadow with no problem. After that things got sour. Beetle kill has caused the lodge pole pines to lay like pickup sticks all along the trail. We had GPS which saved us. No trail maintenance has been done in this part for years it seems. It was commando style hiking for the next six miles. A mile before Blue Lake the trail got better but be ready for mosquitoes! The Lake was pretty and the rest of the trail was fine. Had we known we would have turned around and gone back at the Notch. Palisades are worth seeing if you only want to do a mile up.